Cherished in My Heart
by moondocc
Summary: COMPLETE. She was the only one for him, yet she disappeared without a trace. 10 years later, he finds himself trapped in a dangerous world of beautiful women. Then she makes a comeback. Cherry Kura. 18. Amnesia.
1. Chapter 1: A Lost Tale V2

§ Cherished in My Heart §  
**A fiction by moondocc  
****Rated T/Genre: Romance/Drama**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CCS, but I do own this plot : )**

**Summary: **Long ago Sakura and Syaoran were childhood lovers, but Sakura had to move away. Ten years later she comes back as Cherry Kura, with amnesia, and completely detests guys like Syaoran Li, full-time player, who runs his hands through hundreds of girls in order to protect himself from getting hurt. Can you fall in love with the same person twice? SxS, ExT

Chapter 1: A Lost Tale V2

An auburn-haired girl laid on the meadow, gazing happily at the brilliant blue sky. Her beautiful, emerald eyes widened as she saw a cloud that had the shape of a beautiful pink flower. "Look, Syaoran, that flower looks like a cherry blossom," the girl smiled kindly, peering sideways at an eight-year-old boy.

The messy chestnut-haired boy snorted, his amber eyes danced with an icy whirlpool, and his heart pounded hard against his chest. He turned his back to the girl, pouting. "Just go to your stupid Japan." He said coldly. "It's not like I care."

The auburn-haired girl narrowed her eyes in surprise and turned around too. She clutched her pink dress with her hands and held back tear buds forming in the back of hers. He had never said that to her before, she thought, but she couldn't blame him. The boy called Syaoran laid his face on the grass, face full of guilt. He pulled strands of green from the hard sodden earth and grunted. A bird chirped, bringing happy news under the luminous sun.

Sakura felt pearls rolling down her cheeks and she wiped her tears away. She flipped around and saw her best friend's back, so small, yet so warm. Instantly she smiled and reached for his hand. Just that second Syaoran turned around too. For a moment their eyes locked, holding what felt like eternity in their breaths.

**

* * *

**

Ocean's apart day after day  
And I slowly go insane  
I hear your voice on the line  
But it doesn't stop the pain

If I see you next to never  
How can we say forever

* * *

Eternity was gone in a second. 

"Syaoran…" Sakura smiled, and grabbed Syaoran's hands. She pulled him up with some effort and grinned. "Forgive me, please?"

Amber eyes gazed lovingly at those puppy pools of joy. He almost felt conceited for hogging her all this time. "Hmm…" he pretended to think, his hands on his chin, "maybe." He stuck his tongue at her. Sakura laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't kid around, Syaoran. You know I hate that."

Syaoran snorted. "Yes, yes, I know. I forgive you." He smiled widely, and held out his pinky to Sakura. Sakura looked down, surprised. "What's that for? What promise are we making now?" she had secretly liked all their little promises and little secrets that were confidential just between them two.

"I promise you that I'll forgive you for everything that you did and will do to me." Syaoran beamed. He stretched his pinky closer to her hand. "What?"

"From now on, don't ever tell me you're sorry. Because you'll have my promise that I will always forgive you!" Sakura laughed. "Oh, Syaoran, you are so silly!" But she crossed her pink with his nonetheless. Yes, that was his promise. His promise to keep.

**

* * *

**

Wherever you go  
Whatever you do  
I will be right here waiting for you  
Whatever it takes  
Or how my heart breaks  
I will be right here waiting for you

* * *

For a moment they stood next to each other, silence housing their thoughts. Sakura broke their touch and tapped Syaoran lightly on the shoulder. 

"Hmm?" he said absentmindedly.

"Syaoran… I'm still really sorry I had to do this, but my dad is forcing me to go back to Japan…" she said sadly. "I know that you'll forgive me, but I still want you to know."

Syaoran masked a grouchy look. "Don't remind me. I was perfectly happy for a second. Why did you have to take that away from me?"

Sakura looked down at her bare feet. The soft earth felt so comforting beneath her, so refreshing and so smooth. She heard Syaoran clear his throat.

"I forgive you." Syaoran said slowly. He braved a smile. "I'll forgive you even if you forget me."

"Oh, I'm never going to forget you! I can promise you that!" Sakura said childishly. She jumped on Syaoran suddenly, wrapping her legs around his waist. She gave him a big bear hug. "I'm never going to forget you, ever!" she grinned as her arms locked tightly around his neck. "I'm with my best friend, what more could I ask for?" she leaned back to look in his amber pools.

Syaoran gazed back, scrutinizing carefully in her beautiful emerald pools. A dramatic force pulled him as if those eyes were a black hole, sucking his soul in.

He felt the sudden urge to kiss her. He knew that their friendship would be at stake if he gave in to his temptations, but he also knew that this was going to be last day that he'll ever see her.

"Sakura…" Syaoran whispered, still holding Sakura in his arms, her legs still wrapped around her waist.

"Hmm?" Sakura's eyes twinkled happily.

"You have something smeared on your eye." He said concernedly. Sakura tried to reach for her eyes. "No, no, you won't get it. Close your eyes so I won't poke them." He ordered. Sakura looked at him in confusion.

"Just close them!" Syaoran demanded impatiently. Sakura closed her eyes at will. She had a soft smile on her delicate face. Syaoran gazed at her for a long while before closing his eyes too and leaning in slowly. _It's now or never, _he thought. _Even if I have to face rejection._

Quickly he drove himself onto Sakura's lips and gave her a quick peck. Her eyes fluttered open instantly, realizing what had happened, and blushed. Syaoran let go of her and cleared his throat.

Sakura crept up next to him and pecked him on the cheek. She let out a gleeful laugh. Syaoran sighed, relieved. At least she didn't reject him, he thought.

"Sakura," he began, not sure what to say, "You ought to know that every year on my birthday I'd wish for the same thing ever since I was three," it seems like he found the right words.

To this Sakura responded with a grin. "And now?" she asked, although she already knew the answer in her heart.

"And now, I don't need to wish for anything anymore. I'm the happiest eight-year-old in the whole world! I don't need asshole corny wishes to have you anymore." Syaoran smirked, and Sakura giggled.

"Asshole?" she laughed.

"Well, my sisters call each other 'assholes' when they're mad… I've always wanted to use it though." Syaoran explained, his face full of dare.

"And do you know what it means?" Sakura asked suggestively.

"Um…" he thought for a while. "No." he grinned, a foolish yet cute smile.

"Well, if you don't, then don't use it in a romantic sentence!" Sakura pretended to holler angrily. She rammed into his shoulders and kept walking forward.

"Sakura!" Syaoran said as he grasped Sakura's thin wrist, and pulled her closer to her. "Sakura, please don't be mad at me." He pleaded, giving her a pair of irresistible puppy eyes. "You're my only friend," he confessed. In this situation, "Friend" to him meant more than just…friends.

"Syaoran, you'll make other friends," Sakura smiled kindly, not catching his cue.

"No, I won't. You know me. In fact, you know me better than anyone." Syaoran said hotly.

"Don't be stubborn. I don't know you. The Syaoran that _I _know is a cold, arrogant jerk who sometimes can be a pain in the butt." Sakura sneered, "but you'll make friends. Lots of friends. Actually, _girl_friends. With your look and your charm and your lies, you'll make a lot of girl friends." Sakura added.

"Sakura, I'm not lying." Syaoran said seriously. Sakura stared into his determined amber eyes and then to his hair.

"You'll need to tend those better someday," she smiled, changing the subject. She felt too cruel treating him like that. "But not today. I'm leaving at nine."

"WHAT!" Syaoran shouted. "And you didn't tell me?" he asked.

"You know how you get when I go on trips, Syaoran." Sakura smiled secretly. "You keep nagging how dangerous it is to get on a plane."

"Uh-huh."

"Second of all, Syaoran—" Sakura paused, and looked into those amber eyes glowing with sadness and misery. She leaned forward to meet those lips one more time, shoving away the pains in her heart. She knew. She knew that she has been hiding a dark secret in her heart. She loved him. She loved him more than anyone she could ever love. Even at eight she vowed to love him forever, even if she was forbidden of such a thing.

"Promise me that you'll make new friends." It hurt her to say that to him.

"Promise _me _that we'll see each other again." Syaoran said determinedly.

"I'll promise if you will." Sakura smiled.

"Deal." Syaoran smirked, holding out his pinky again. Sakura locked her finger within his and the two smirked at each other.

Loud honks broke their glee as its sharp and daring sound pierced through the peaceful sky.

"I guess it's time for me to go, no?" She said sadly. Syaoran looked down at his feet. Then, without so much as a warning, Sakura jumped on him again and hugged him tightly.

"Syaoran, I will always cherish our friendship and love in my heart." Sakura braved a smile.

"Yes, cherished in my heart." Syaoran said emotionlessly. What could he do for her but watch her go? Sakura broke away and pecked him on the cheek. "Good bye, Syaoran." She whispered as she let go of his grip and ran downhill. "Don't forget our promises!" she hollered after.

Syaoran waved. "I won't!" he watched her disappear into the limo, and then, gone…forever.

**

* * *

**

I took for granted, all the times  
That I thought would last somehow  
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears  
But I can't get near you now

Oh, can't you see it baby  
You've got me going crazy

**Wherever you go  
Whatever you do  
I will be right here waiting for you  
Whatever it takes  
Or how my heart breaks  
I will be right here waiting for you**

* * *

"Flight 618 flying to Tomoeda, Japan today on April 1, has met a daring blizzard and fought bravely, but eventually taken up by the strong wind and snow. All 734 passengers on board are dead, including the young Sakura Kinomoto, eight, heiress to the Kinomto Grand Hotel, the most famous hotel in Japan, and 23rd to the throne. Today also happens to be the young grand duchess's birthday. This is an unfortunate day for all royalty as investigation is being held back by the City Council. This is Kate Burling, Channel 2 News." 

Syaoran shut the TV, and for the first time, he cried. Tears fell down from his cheek like rain, and pain struggled madly in his broken heart.

Damn you Sakura! Making a promise you'll never keep. Damn you!

_Wherever you go  
Whatever you do  
I will be right here waiting for you  
Whatever it takes  
Or how my heart breaks  
I will be right here waiting for you…_

_

* * *

To be continued… _

**Author's Note. This is a revision of § Cherished in My Heart § you guys! It's really kind of different from the original version, and this is a much better chapter and more probable than the original one, with me keeping in mind that they are, in fact, only eight years old, not eighteen. Therefore their embrace is I guess uh, cute, but not dramatic? Anyway. I hope you guys liked this revision, and don't forget to review!**

**The song used is Richard Marx's _Right Here Waiting_. Oh and you can also tell whether a chapter is revised or not by whether or not I have a song there and by the title at the top—it's so organized now! But I apologize in advance for the insane author's alerts.**

**Please review this revised chapter! And if you're a new reader please review also! **


	2. Chapter 2: A Broken Promise V2

**§ Cherished in My Heart §  
****A fiction by moondocc  
****Rated T/Genre: Romance/Drama**

Chapter 2: A Broken Promise

A young girl about eighteen with shy emerald eyes walked on the silent street, her lone silhouette brushing this world a defining shine. Spring was already here, as soft zephyrs strolled cheerfully her way, lifting strands of her long hair as they danced violently, covering her face. The girl brushed her hair away and smiled. Something had caught her eyes. On someone's house big bold black letters wrote "Happy Birthday Ling!"

"April 1," she said dreamily. "My birthday is today." She sighed, and continued to walk. Her hands waved by her side as her mind explored her past again. _I wish I could remember being part of this world_, she thought curiously, scanning her surroundings. _What was I like?_

When Cherry Kura was eight, a plane crash had taken hold of her life and flipped it completely upside down. She would have random flashbacks of her past, but that was it. That was all that she could ever remember. Random callings of a name she could not put her finger on, and random events that lasted all but a second. Sometimes she wished she could claim her past again, she wanted desperately to know everything about her childhood, because it all had faded away when she woke up at the hospital three months later.

Amnesia. That was what they had told her. She was lucky to have survived such a turbulent storm and nevertheless lucky to fall 5,000 feet from the sky and still be alive.

Boy, was she lucky.

But she wasn't happy at all. Despite that she had been once reborn, the price of her rebirth had cost her all her memories of the before the accident, everything from her parents to the people she loved. It even included taking away her…

_What is my real name? _Cherry thought bitterly. It seemed strange that she would be wondering her origin on the first day of going to Hong Kong University, but the thought had bothered her ever since and she hasn't gone by a day without thinking about who she was.

She wanted so desperately to belong in this strange and fantastic world. Yes, it's been ten years. Yes, multiply 365 by 10 years and you've got a girl who's been wondering about the life she couldn't remember for 3650 days.

**

* * *

**

Look at this stuff  
Isn't it neat?  
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?  
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl  
The girl who has everything?  
Look at this trove  
Treasures untold  
How many wonders can one cavern hold?  
Looking around here you think  
Sure, she's got everything  
I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty  
I've got whozits and whatzits galore  
You want thingamabobs?  
I've got twenty!  
But who cares?  
No big deal  
I want more

* * *

"Cherry!" A raven-haired girl with beautiful amethyst eyes hollered from behind her. Cherry turned around, her face instantly brightened.

"Tomoyo," she said happily, and flashed Tomoyo a smile.

Tomoyo's eyes narrowed, and spoke in a gentle yet calming voice. "Are you thinking about the accident again?" she asked carefully. Her best friend was always thinking about the accident.

Cherry nodded. She looked down at her feet awkwardly and cleared her throat. "You know what? Over these ten years I feel like I'm hiding something from my life. I mean, I've always been dreaming of who I was before I was eight," she stopped, looking away painfully. "I can't remember, Tomoyo. The thought of never knowing…scares me a little bit," she braved a weak beam.

"Cherry," Tomoyo broke off, pained to see her friend so mentally abused, "you know that there is no way to retrieve your memory before the accident," here Tomoyo put her hand on Cherry's shoulder. "It's alright."

Cherry forced a smile. "I know, Tomoyo. I know."

"I'm sorry, but today is a happy day! It's the first day of going to Hong Kong University! And it's your birthday as well! We need to celebrate!" Tomoyo laughed, trying to cheer Cherry up.

"Ha," Cherry chuckled lightly. "Today is also the day my father and my brother died."

Tomoyo looked worried. "At least _you _lived." Tomoyo admitted. "The grand duchess Sakura Kinomoto died too, on your birthday! And she was the heiress to the Kinomoto Grand Hotel, and 23rd to the throne."

"Great. Another person died on my birthday." Cherry said angrily. "I feel like I've only been alive for ten years sometimes."

"Oh Cherry," Tomoyo said sadly, her lavender eyes reflecting rays of sorrow, "you've been through a lot. Living a short life is sometimes the most romantic way to die."

"I'm not dying, Tomoyo," Cherry said seriously. "I know, I know, I was referring to the princess. How romantic it must be for her to die like that!" Tomoyo said dreamily.

"Tomoyo!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm spacing off again. I hope you find Hong Kong to your liking, Cherry-chan. I know we've moved from Tomoeda and all, and it's a different atmosphere, but it's such a beautiful place." Tomoyo said happily, hoping that her happy self will also cheer up Cherry.

Cherry gave an utmost blank expression.

"Anyway, your birthday is today isn't it?" Tomoyo said as she took out a wrapped present from her book bag. It had pink wrappers and a white ribbon tied in the center, with thinner ribbons trailing down from the big ribbon. The pink wrapper was shiny and had white stars on it. Tomoyo loved to give Cherry random presents, but by the look of the box…

"Tomoyo, you shouldn't have!" Cherry gasped at the pink wrap.

"Happy eighteenth birthday, my best friend!" Tomoyo chattered excitedly, her hands clapped together.

Cherry looked at the box curiously. Then, stretching out one finger, she brushed it against the wrapping and found an opening.

"You know, Cherry, I spent an hour to wrap that thing," Tomoyo joked. Cherry stared at her, and chuckled. "Alright, I'll be careful when I open it. But seriously, an hour? You turtle!" she mocked and Tomoyo laughed. "Oh ho ho ho ho ho! It would take Cherry-chan just as long!"

"That's true." Cherry admitted, her face reddening. "I'll look at it in my classroom alright? That way I won't 'tear' it!" she said sarcastically.

"Cherry, I'm just joking!" Tomoyo said amusedly.

"I know you are." Cherry laughed. "Because we're at the college now!"

"Yup. First day in Hong Kong University. Isn't this exciting?" Tomoyo giggled.

"It'd better be." Cherry said with a determined look in her eyes.

**

* * *

**

I wanna be where the people are  
I wanna see, wanna see them dancin'  
Walking around on those - what do you call 'em?  
Oh - feet!

Flippin' your fins, you don't get too far  
Legs are required for jumping, dancing  
Strolling along down a - what's that word again?  
Street

Up where they walk, up where they run  
Up where they stay all day in the sun  
Wanderin' free - wish I could be  
Part of that world

What would I give if I could live out of these waters?  
What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?  
Bet'cha on land they understand  
That they don't reprimand their daughters  
Bright young women sick of swimmin'  
Ready to stand

* * *

"Wow, I never knew it was so big and all!" Cherry chattered excitedly, pointing to the grand entrance and British architecture. It truly looked like a college campus.

"Yeah!" Tomoyo agreed. Cherry and Tomoyo entered the building and saw that the hallway was completely crowded. All members of the crowd encircled something.

"What are they doing?" Cherry asked curiously.

Tomoyo had already squeezed herself into the circle, trying to take a peek at what was going on. Cherry followed her, standing tall between two enormously large heads. Unfortunately, the owners of the two enormous large heads were also…fat. Which means uncomfortable air and suffocation for her.

"Li Syaoran! You horrible man!" a girl with silvery blonde hair and watery blue eyes slapped a boy about their age. "How could you cheat on me?" she accused angrily, her face already red. The boy with messy chestnut hair and a pair of striking amber eyes sneered in amusement, his fingers on his chin.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault, I'm extremely depressed walking around with you. You were getting on my nerves anyway." The boy smirked, rubbing his face. The girl's expression hardened, and gave him one last death glare. Amber eyes looked at her arrogantly as she divided the crowd in half, squeezing her way through. Her face masked death.

The boy scoffed. The crowd closed around him again as dozens of girls began to drool themselves over him. The smirk on his face returned, this time even bolder.

"So, Syao-darling, does this mean you're available?" A girl with long wavy black girl and dark brown eyes said to the boy, her eyelids batting suggestively.

"Um, yeah, of course," the boy said shortly. "That was my 365th girlfriend," he bragged.

"Ooh-la-la, you've been keeping track of your girlfriends?" The girl with jet black hair spoke again, her voice a seductive snake.

"Why wouldn't I?" he said obviously, as if that was the stupidest question he has ever heard.

"I like my guy smart." The girl whispered in his ear.

Cherry squeezed her eyes at the daring boy in the center of attention and glared straight into his piercing amber eyes.

_What a player. I _hate_ players like that. Players who go through girlfriends faster than underwear. Which I'm pretty sure he change quite frequently. _

Cherry was getting herself worked up. Tomoyo shot her a warning glare as to say "Do not do anything irrational, Cherry." But she couldn't help herself. All her life she has absolutely despised guys like this attention-hogger, and when she's mad, she's out of control. With all her strength, she extended her arms as to part herself between two fat idiots and divided the crowd again. The crowd looked curiously at her as she made her way in front of the chestnut haired boy. "You're in for a real treat," she muttered under her breath.

She stood fearlessly in front of him, her arms crossed defiantly. "You are a real bastard, you know, cheating and treating girls like that. Your face _disgusts_ me."

The boy looked surprised.

Cherry took this as a sign to go on. "In fact, your face disgusts me so much that I want to throw up just by looking at guys like you." She snorted, waiting for his reaction.

"Sakura? Sakura Kinomoto?" The boy's eyes widened in amazement, his fingers rising in the air, as if to touch her.

"What?" That was not the answer that she had expected. Who was this crazy guy referring to?

"Sakura, I've waited so long for this." The boy closed their spaces as curious eyes from the crowd watched intently at the two. He leaned in.

Then, out of all the things that he could have possibly done, he had chosen _that._ Now that Cherry Kura looked back on it, she should have never let him kiss her.

_I'm ready to know what the people know  
Ask 'em my questions and get some answers  
What's a fire and why does it - what's the word?  
Burn? _

When's it my turn?  
Wouldn't I love, love to explore that shore up above?  
Out of the sea  
Wish I could be  
**Part of that world**

_

* * *

To be continued…_

**Author's Note: Hmm, another revised chapter. The song used is Little Mermaid's Part of Your World. I chose this song because it fits into Sakura's amnesia thingy. She wants so bad to be part of "this" world—regular world, where everyone remembers their childhood, but like Little Mermaid, she can't, at least not until later. Anyway, review this revised chapter!**

**It's a little bit different than the original. I read the original and I was completely disgusted by my writing and by some of the HUGE errors that i made. Gigantic ones. Especially saying she was ten and eight years ago when she was eight and ten years ago. and teh cherry blossom thing. i edited that out and replaced it with a "Happy Birthday Ling!" thing. It was horrid. And Cherry was so angry all the time and so random. I wanted this story to be more realistic. **

**Anyway…review! And thanks for the reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3: A Scattered Memory V2

**§ Cherished in My Heart §  
A fiction by moondocc  
Rated T/Genre: Romance/Drama**

**Song Used: **What Happened to Us? By Hoobastank

Chapter 3: A Scattered Memory

Cherry felt her knees shaking as her jade green eyes opened in wild surprise. The boy in front of her broke away, smiling (almost kindly) at her.

Flustered, Cherry pushed herself away from him and slapped him hard in the face. "What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, her eyes with an expression that could kill.

"Oh great. That was my 966th slap," the boy in front of her murmured indignantly, "do girls have to get so emotional when guys kiss them?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Do you randomly go and snog girls!" Cherry snapped, waiting for an answer. "How would you expect me to behave? Just fall in complete ecstasy with your stupid lip-lock?" she yelled, her face flushing. "Of course girls would slap you. I would be dead wondering if they didn't."

The crowd grew silent as the Cherry stared at the boy in front of her with a death glare.

His expression was blank. His hazel eyes, no, amber because they showed the slightest hint of gold, grew reflective at the gaze upon her. "I thought you were dead," he whispered.

Cherry stared at him in confusion, her head tilted sideways to look at the mysterious chestnut-haired boy standing firmly in front of her. Then she scanned the crowd, searching for a face whose eyes would align with Mr. Amber-Eyed. She found none. Confused, she spoke softly, afraid that if she spoke any louder, she would be dubbed Miss Psychopath on her first day. "Are you talking to me?"

The boy in front of her scrutinized her quickly, as if deciding if she was the emerald-eyed girl that he had loved. He decided then that there would be no doubt, that the girl standing before him was indeed Sakura Kinomoto, twenty-third to the Japanese throne, heiress of the Kinomoto Grand Hotel. He was certain it was her. Throughout the years he had tried to captivate the colors of her eyes, but found that impossible because no matter what combination of crayons he would try, they would never come out as beautiful and as realistic as hers.

"Yes, I'm talking to you," he spoke calmly, talking as if everything made sense.

Cherry leaned in, studying him closely. "Am I supposed to know you?" she asked innocently. The boy suddenly felt a sharp pain slicing through his heart. He hid it anyway. "Let's talk in private," he muttered as he grabbed her arm and led her away from the curious crowd.

"Go back to class," he ordered. Surprisingly, Cherry noted, all of them obeyed and scattered across the hallway toward their destinations. He led her to a private room as she anxiously scanned the hall one last time in attempt to find Tomoyo. To her disappointment, Tomoyo was no where in sight. She sighed, hating herself for letting this happen to her on her first day upon arrival.

**

* * *

I thought it was too good to be true  
I found somebody who understands me  
Someone who would help me to get through  
And fill an emptiness i had inside me  
But you kept inside and I just denied  
Some things that we should have both said  
I knew it was too good to be true  
Cause I'm the only one who understands me**

**What happened to us  
We used to be so perfect, now we're lost and lonely  
What happened to us  
And deep inside I wonder, did I lose my only?**

* * *

"Sit," the boy said quietly, pointing towards a chair. 

"Why should I?" Cherry asked defiantly, hatred brooding in her emerald eyes.

The boy sighed. "Never mind," he dismissed her as he walked towards the window. He lifted the windowsill open with one easy strike and proceeded to lean against it. "Don't you know who I am?"

"Nope." Cherry shook her head wildly. "But I'm tempted to report you for sexual assault."

"I didn't sexually harass you!" He argued, but it was no use. "Don't you know who Sakura Kinomoto is, at least? I mean, aren't you her? Aren't you the 'famous child princess who died tragically in a plane accident'?"

"Unfortunately no, as you can see, sadly, I'm still alive to receive that kind of inappropriate treatment from you," Cherry muttered sarcastically. "Who do you think you are, anyway, some sort of hotshot from Planet Nowhere?"

"My name is Syaoran Li," he stopped here, clearing his throat. "First questions first. Were you or were you not on the plane along with the princess?"

"Hmm, I think so, why?" Cherry asked stupidly, not realizing how dumb one could be.

"I thought all passengers on board died." Syaoran said as coolly as snow on a mountain. His cold eyes glared at her expressionlessly, anticipating her to remember those eyes from somewhere in her memory.

"Is it so ironic that I survived?"

"Yes." Syaoran answered simply. "How can someone fall from a five thousand feet altitude and survive that fall? Isn't it too ironic?"

"Well, I'm not her. I don't know how I survived," Cherry replied, studying her nails as if what Syaoran had asked was the most preposterous question that she had ever heard, "but I'm pretty sure that I'm not this Sakura Kinomoto person."

Syaoran stared at her for a moment before turning around from the window, his sun-kissed hair glimmering. "How is it possible that two people, with the same colored eyes, same colored hair, same colored skin, same colored attitude, be…two different people?" he inquired, pondering quietly to himself. "I wonder how that is…"

"Look, you should be glad that I'm not going to press charges," Cherry snapped impatiently as she walked defiantly to the door, "oh, and for the record, dream on. Sakura Kinomoto is dead toast."

Syaoran smiled at her. "I'm sorry I thought you were her. I guess I was wrong. How could I have mistaken you two from the start? I mean, she's prettier than you, and cuter too. There is no way that you could ever match her level of beauty." He said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Cherry's face blanched. "I don't even know what Sakura Kinomoto looks like, but if she had ever liked you, she must have been a blind mule."

Syaoran's eyes flared up angrily, he was just about to go strangle this new look-a-like when the door was kicked open violently by a jet-black haired girl who has snogging Syaoran earlier.

"Natalie!" Syaoran yelped in surprise.

"Where have you been, Syao-darling?" Natalie inquired. "What is _this_ girl doing here?" she hissed. Cherry's eyes rolled heavenward. "It's ok, I'm leaving. I hope you have a good time with _this_ idiot over here."

"Oh don't worry, I _will_," Natalie grimaced as she placed her arms around Syaoran's neck. Syaoran had an absolutely appalled look on his face. Cherry laughed at the image of the two lovebirds as she closed the door loudly behind her.

"That damn bastard," Cherry breathed angrily, her eyes smothering admonition to anyone who dared near her. The hall as completely empty now as she glanced furiously at her watch. She was already five minutes late to class.

She found Tomoyo waiting in a corner for her, worry written over her pale face. "Cherry!" the raven-haired girl hollered at her impatiently, gesturing for her to come near her. Cherry stared up, her face loosening a little bit. Before Tomoyo could speak, Cherry cut in.

"I have decided who my new enemy is." She said determinedly.

"Oh?" Tomoyo sweat-dropped. She didn't need an elaboration to read through her friend's mind. Cherry has always been pretty easy to read. "It's Syaoran Li, isn't it?"

"How do you know his last name?" Cherry asked in amazement, temporarily forgetting about her hatred.

"They were all talking about it after Li took you to that private classroom. He's a hotshot from here, I think, ever since he was little he has been a hotshot." Tomoyo explained. Cherry reddened at the memory that she had previously called her amber-eyed kisser "a hotshot from Planet Nowhere". Now that she thought about it, he was pretty good-looking. But so what if he was cute? He was still rude and insulting.

"Anyway, Cherry, is it safe to open my present now?" Tomoyo asked hopefully, changing the subject.

"I'll do that in Ancient Empires," Cherry said apologetically. "I don't want to be late to my first day of college… even though we're already pretty late."

"Yeah, that's true." Tomoyo nodded. "But on a serious note, I really need to do something right now," Cherry said suddenly. Tomoyo glanced worriedly at her friend, "what?"

"I really need to go to the bathroom." Tomoyo tumbled over.

**

* * *

Remember they thought we were too young  
To really know what it takes to make it  
But we had survived off what we have done  
So we could show them all that they're mistaken  
But who could have known the lies that would grow  
Until we could see right through them  
Remember they knew we were too young  
We still don't know what it takes to make it**

**What happened to us  
We used to be so perfect, now we're lost and lonely  
What happened to us  
And deep inside I wonder, did I lose my only?**

* * *

Cherry Kura and Tomoyo Daidouji made their way fearlessly towards their seats in the huge classroom that was so different from the typical high school settings in Tokyo. Since it was the first day of the first class, their tardiness didn't seem to matter. Everyone in Ancient Empires was still chatting excited anyway. 

Cherry inspected around her. The topic of almost everyone's chat seems to revolve between Syaoran and her. She quietly peeked behind her. She felt herself snogging the center of attention as every pair of eyes always seems to glide past her spot. She sweat-dropped nervously.

Cherry turned a thirty degree angle left and tried to see who was behind her out of the corner of her eyes. What she didn't realize was that this still wasn't enough. Growling, she turned another sixty degrees.

Syaoran Li sat comfortable behind her with his arms folded in a most proud manner and his legs crossed on the row of desks in front of him, so that the tip of his Nike sneakers barely escaped Cherry's nape. Once she realized who dared to sit behind her, her head flipped a whole one-eighty degrees and shot Syaoran a death glare.

The thing is, his eyes were closed in a mood of utter relaxation! How could he? Cherry turned around angrily and leaned back against her chair so that her nape kicked Syaoran's foot out of the way.

Syaoran opened his eyes instantaneously, "What?" he said irritably as Cherry flipped around again. Next to her Tomoyo flipped open her book as the professor walked into the classroom. Cherry was too focused on Syaoran to notice.

"You idiot. You cost me my first kiss!" she hissed in a soft voice. Syaoran merely looked away as if it was no big deal, his face showing nothing resembling guilt.

The professor asked the students to open the books now. Syaoran looked back at Cherry's incessant glares and rewarded one of his famous million-dollar looks back at her.

"To tell you the truth, I never expected Kinomoto's twin to be so stupid and ugly." He teased.

"How many girlfriends do you have now, Li? Too many that you can't count?" she smirked to herself. Now that is one question that she was convinced that Syaoran wouldn't be able to answer.

"Why, are you interested?" he asked daringly, his voice full of amusement. Receiving Cherry's silent sneer, he quickly added, "Three hundred and sixty five. Three hundred and sixty six, to be exact. Natalie's just been added to my collection."

"Pssh, all you collect are broken hearts and forgotten girlfriends." Cherry shot back.

Syaoran narrowed his eyes. "That's precisely my point."

Cherry flipped around to her seat and took out the pink-wrapped present from her bag. She ignored Syaoran's insult targeted at woman and slowly unraveled the wrapper silently behind her desk. Inside was a silver bracelet with the initial "S.L. + S.K. Forever" on the heart-shaped diamond and an old, stinky picture of a girl and a boy, both smiling innocently. She can't exactly see the intended colors of the picture because of its age. It was dusty and took with a monotonous color.

Cherry closed her eyes as she felt a strong force rushing over her.

_"Sakura?" a boy smirked._

_"Yes, you 'asshole'?" a girl said a prankish tone. Her hair was colored just monotonously like the photograph, everything about her vibrant, yet dull._

_The boy looked hurt. _

"_I was kidding, Syao!" The girl giggled softly, noting the boy's dignified expression._

_Shaking away his thoughts, the boy shoved something in the girl's hand. Then he ran away quickly, never looking back at her._

_"Wow, Syao! You shouldn't have!" the girl smiled as her fingers traced the pink wrapper. She turned around, searching around her for a shadow of him. He had already run away. _

Cherry noted the happy smile on the girl's face. Somehow she felt happy for her too.

"Where did you get that?" a chilling voice reverberated from behind her.

_We could have made it work, we could have found a way,  
We should have done our best to see another day  
But we kept it all inside until it was too late  
And now we're both alone, the consequence we pay  
For throwing it all away, for **throwing it all away...

* * *

**_

_To be continued..._

**a/n: revised! YES! Finally. This chapter was like… 900 words before. Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter. The song was used because their love when they were young didn't work, so it's "what happened to us? We used to be so perfect…" hahah. I know it doesn't really make a lot sense, but it sort of makes sense when you think about it… anyway, KrNstargurl, thank you so much for reviewing my revised chapters even though you read them anyway!  
**

**heheh...please review this revised chapter!  
**


	4. Chapter 4: An Unexpected Present V2

**§ Cherished in My Heart §  
****A fiction by moondocc  
****Rated T/Genre: Romance/Drama**

**Originally dedicated to DarkAnimeChick for her birthday, 1/22. Happy birthday!**

Chapter 4: An Unexpected Present

"Where did you get that?" The chilling voice emitting from behind him hissed.

_That damn pig_, Cherry thought murderously, "Stop being so nosy, you pig head." She smirked to herself for coming up with such a great comeback.

Syaoran snorted. "No need to compliment me, Miss Kura."

"Will you leave me alone! I was in the middle of something," Cherry frowned impatiently, searching deep for that blurred memory, "and now you're disturbing me!" she whispered so that the professor wouldn't hear.

"Does this 'disturbance'," at this Syaoran rolled his eyes, "have anything to do with a memory?"

Cherry narrowed her eyes. "How do you know?"

Syaoran laughed, "A ha ha ha ha, you're asking the master here to spill his secret?" Cherry shook her head, Syaoran caved in. "Fine. Your face was distorted in a very weird shape."

"No it wasn't!" Cherry protested, embarrassed that her face could be distorted in any other shape than a cheerful and happy one. Her hand immediately rose up to her cheeks and covered it. "Don't lie, Li."

"Oh? Are we on last name terms now, Kura, hmm?" Syaoran arched his eyebrow, so high that it disappeared behind his shuffled bangs, "I wasn't lying, Kura, your face was scaring me." Tomoyo turned around and shot the two a dirty look. "You're being too loud," she warned.

Cherry flipped back to her seat and took out a pen, scribbling some things on her notepad. Despite the loud speech given by the professor, her mind was still not focusing on Ancient Empires. In fact, it was bouncing between a lost memory and a very annoying baka sitting right behind her.

Not even five minutes into her full focus into the lesson being taught, Cherry felt herself being poked again. Furious, her eyes landed on a very interested Syaoran Li.

"So was this memory something that happened in your past?"

Cherry shrugged. "I thought it was. Maybe it wasn't."

"What do you mean?" he whispered slowly, his eyes darting back and forth across the room, where it eventually landed on the professor's brown head.

"I don't know." Cherry announced simply before sinking in her own seat again. Five minutes later, a very flustered (and angry) Tomoyo found herself glaring at her best friend. "What is it?"

"Where did you get the bracelet?" Cherry asked softly.

"What?" Tomoyo was a little bit taken aback. After all, they were _in class_, discussing the Roman Empire, when her best friend suddenly brought up the topic of a certain present that was presented to said best friend only thirty minutes ago.

"My birthday present, of course," Cherry repeated in oblivion, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh," Tomoyo smiled. She shot a look toward the direction of Professor Yuumi, but it seemed like that she was not paying attention to two scheming girls sitting prettily in the back. "I found them in the Museum of Aviation Flights last month."

Cherry's mouth drooped to the floor.

"They were on display for a special exhibit and the description talked about your flight, you know, 618 to Tomoeda, Japan?" Tomoyo explained patiently, her glamorous hair falling across her face. "I thought it might help you bring your memory back."

"I think it worked," Cherry gasped in realization, "I think it really, really did work!"

Tomoyo clasped her hand on her mouth, "How?"

"Something flooded back into my head. I saw some things about a girl and a boy." Cherry analyzed, "it was like it was _me_ who was in her memory."

"What? What do you mean?" Tomoyo was truly perplexed. It was _like_ it was her? Shouldn't a person's memory be well…personal?

"Who's 'her'?" The same chilling voice sounded from behind. A very interested (and smirking) Syaoran leaned forward, his full attention on the redhead sitting in front of him.

"Sakura Kinomoto," Cherry swallowed. "How could this have happened?" _Why do I feel that she looks…a bit like me?_

_Maybe because you _are_ Sakura, you dimwit,_ Syaoran thought bitterly. He wouldn't dare saying that to her. He didn't want to risk a trip to the hospital after all. The girl looked _strong_ as a bull.

"You two in the back row?" Professor Yuumi called out. Syaoran and Cherry's heads darted across the room, their hollow eyes landing on a very red teacher who seemed too small to be yelling at such a volume. "Do you two have something to share with the class?"

"No," Syaoran muttered quietly, sinking back in his chair. "Shit," he whispered to himself. Cherry lowered her head shamefully and studied her New Balance sneakers.

"I didn't think so. Do not talk in class. You will interrupt other students' desire to learn about possible the greatest empire in the world."

Cherry and Syaoran nodded bitterly. Professor Yuumi nodded, and went back to lecture the students about the Twelve Tables and the Pax Romana.

"What do you have to bother me for?" Syaoran nudged Cherry in the shoulder with a wide smirk. Appalled, Cherry raised her eyebrow. "_Excuse me? _You were the one who was bothering _moi_," she emphasized, shooting the boy with chestnut hair a dirty look.

To her surprise, Li Syaoran had the nerve to laugh. "I'm sorry, I don't speak gibberish…such as moi!" he laughed quietly to avoid another public outburst on behalf of Cherry Kura. Tomoyo shook her head and continued taking notes on the great Roman Peace.

Cherry scowled. _God, Li Syaoran, I can't _stand _you!_ Unfortunately, it was already too late, because she had just shouted, at the very top of her lungs, "GODLISYAORANICANTSTANDYOU!"

The whole class flipped toward their direction as Cherry felt her cheeks start to redden. Within seconds, her colors were literally comparable to that of a tomato's color. Professor Yuumi stopped walking in her tracks and tapped her teaching stick loudly on the desk behind her. "Miss Kura, Mr. Li, I trust that you two have not settled the dispute between you."

"No shit," Syaoran shot back. Professor Yuumi's eyes widened as her lips slightly parted. "Mr. Li! That is _not_ the way you treat your elders!"

"Does it matter?" Syaoran answered in boredom. "Come on, just sent me out of the class. It's not like I care about the 'Great Roman Peace' anyway." Syaoran's finger wiggled at his emphasis. Professor Yuumi's eyes widened more, if that was even possible, until they reached the level of complete shock.

"Get out of my class," Professor Yuumi ordered. "Now."

Syaoran smirked. He stood up from his chair staring at a bewildered redhead as he slumped his backpack across his back and made his way down the aisle. "As you wish," he sneered devilishly as he walked past Professor Yuumi, giving her a wink.

Cherry watched as Syaoran made his way out the door. What she could not believe is that, when he passed the last seat in the class, right next to the door, he blew her a kiss before turning away again.

Ooo, the NERVE of that man!

* * *

"Hey KURA!" Someone shouted from across the hallway. The shout was so piercing that Cherry found herself temporarily deaf. It turned out that the shout wasn't from across the hall. It was more like…across the earshot, really.

Turning around, Cherry found herself staring at the very pair of eyes that annoyed her to death. "Yes, Li? What do you want?"

The owner of the eyes smirked at her before feeling himself yanked back again, his collar choking his neck. He made a few gagging noises and threw his hands in the air. Cherry secretly laughed at this. Revenge, sweet revenge.

"Ugh!" Syaoran shouted in disgust as the girl who yanked him back finally decided to let go. "Geroff, Natalie!" Natalie was the same girl who drooled all over Syaoran this morning. Unfortunately for her, this morning he was quite enjoying her company. But the tables have turned now.

"Why should I? I'm your girlfriend." Natalie stated as-a-matter-of-factly as she took Syaoran by the arm and crossed hers in between. She shot Cherry a look of jealousy before she smeared her bright red lipstick all over Syaoran's cheeks.

Syaoran looked too shocked to say anything. Whether it was the bright second lips on his cheeks or his bulging, scary eyeballs, Cherry found him extraordinarily…funny. Before long she found herself in a fit of laughter as she clung her hands on her tummy and laughed like an idiot.

Syaoran shook himself back into reality as he shook Natalie off his shirt. "Sorry to pop your bubble, Evans, but you're too ugly to be my girlfriend."

Natalie Evans feigned a hurt expression on her face. She pouted her lips and crossed her arms. "For that, Syao-darling, you have to compensate."

Syaoran threw his arm in the air. "Goodbye, Natalie." He said at last before pushing Cherry aside. Natalie gasped and walked away angrily, shooting one last look at the girl who she thought succeeded her. If looks could kill, Cherry would have had at least a hundred bullets in her head now.

"That was interesting," Cherry said in boredom as she examined her nails. Syaoran scoffed.

"You know, for a college guy, you should know how to break things off without hurting their feelings. I mean, you _have_ had 365 girlfriends you know," Cherry reminded him.

"Oh, Kura, with my charm and my looks, there's plenty of girls to spend," Syaoran laughed and waved it off. He didn't exactly want to bash his hurt in her face.

Cherry sighed. "I just don't see what those girls see in you." She looked away in disappointment. "Is Hong Kong University just full of guys like you?"

"I-" Unfortunately, Syaoran was cut off by a beautiful raven-haired girl. She cut her way across the crowd and observed the two in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Cherry said immediately and gave Tomoyo a tired smile. "Absolutely nothing."

"Well then, let's go to lunch! There's a Taco Bell in the cafeteria, I hear," Tomoyo chuckled as she led the way toward the cafeteria. Syaoran followed closely behind, not knowing whether it was relief or disappointment to be cut off at such a crucial moment.

Sitting down among a group of other girls, Tomoyo nudged Cherry eagerly. "Cherry, remember that picture in your birthday present?"

"Yes," Cherry answered slowly, her eyes rolling. What was Tomoyo up to now?

"Well, Li wants to see it," Tomoyo smiled as she tore the wrap to a burrito. Syaoran had just sat down across from Cherry when another man walked their way.

Before Tomoyo could continue, the man bowed in front of him, practicing the most perfected chivalry. "Are you the transfer students from Japan?" he asked politely as he pushed Syaoran on the other edge of the seat.

"Yes," Cherry smiled kindly, reaching out a hand, "my name is Cherry Kura, and I'm very, _very_ pleased to meet you." Syaoran almost spat out his coke.

"Hai, my name is Eriol Hiragizawa, and it is indeed a great pleasure to meet _you_, miss Kura," to Cherry's surprise, Eriol took her hand, but rather than shaking it, he planted a gentle kiss upon her soft white skin.

Cherry giggled. Syaoran rolled his eyes as he unwrapped his burrito. Poor wrapper…Syaoran tore it into ten pieces when he bit angrily into this juicy wrap.

_Jealous, Syaoran? _A devilish voice laughed.

Syaoran flicked his eyes toward the two in deep conversation in disgust. _Only if it's Sakura Kinomoto I would be. But this girl, she's _nothing_ like the Sakura _I _know._

_Oh? She's not? The same eyes, the same smile, the same hair, the same lips? _

"Shut the fuck up," Syaoran wondered out loud.

"Excuse me?" Unfortunately Cherry thought it was directed at her. Why does that girl always think his insults are directed at _her_? Well… they have been so far…he wasn't one to insult girls. He prefers…charming them.

He _could_ use this to his advantage…"Eriol, I believe I was talking to Miss Kura first," he said sweetly, showing Eriol a row to glittering white teeth while his eyes masked murder. Eriol sweat-dropped and stood up to leave.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Eriol bowed politely, "I will take my leave now," at this he winked at Cherry, who smiled dreamily back, "would you two like to join me for lunch sometime?" He looked at the two expectantly. Syaoran mouthed a "no" and motioned that he would slit Cherry's neck if she accepted him.

"Hmm," Cherry pretended to be in deep thought with her hand on her chin. Syaoran's glare was furious. Smirking silently to herself, Cherry smiled wide.

"We would love to, Eriol-kun," she winked at Syaoran.

**a/n: rewrites are awesome! Yay! Another chapter re-wrote! **

**I fixed some MAJOR mistakes in this one. I keep thinking that they are in high school, when in fact they are in college. And nobody ever pointed it out to me before. I guess you all just all forgot or something, haha. That's why I changed the 'teacher' to 'professor' you guys. And also, in the next chapter, they're supposed to be in detention, but how can you have detention in college! That's ridiculous. Therefore, the next chapter is going to take a long while to edit. At least I'm making my chapters more readable, don't you think? **

**Also, I won't revise the last three chapters. I'll probably fix some grammar mistakes and common mistakes here and there, but no rewrite. I feel that my writing has definitely matured these past two years that I have been idle from FF.N…therefore I won't rewrite those chapters. I'll edit, sure, but no rewrites.**

**Please review this chapter and tell me what you think! Of course…none of you are going to review, but I'm doing this for future's sake! Hahaha. See you in next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5: An Affection

**A/N: another chapterz… neways, y'all want me to dedicate this chappie to ya, but I can't. You _have _****to sign my g-book first. Sorry if that makes ya feel uncomfortable, but you just _have to._**** Once u have answered all of the questions _there_****, I _will _****dedicate a chap to you. **

**But, you gotta write which chap from which story should be dedicated to u. MY WEBSITE IS LOCATED ON MY BIO. THANK YOU.**

******

**Chapter 5: An Affection**

"WHAT. THE. HELL. WERE. YOU. THINKING?" Syaoran pushed Eriol against the wall when Cherry and Tomoyo walked towards the luncheon. 

"What?" Eriol blinked.

"You know what I'm talking about. You know Sakura Kinomoto. And I have talked to you about her. Why would you just go ask that fucking Kura out when you know perfectly well that I have suspicions about her?" Syaoran asked angrily.

"First of all, Syaoran-kun, I do not _personally KNOW _Sakura Kinomoto. Second of all, you are not even _sure_ whether or not Cherry is Sakura. You just have _suspicions. _What does that count for?" Eriol questioned back. "As my best friend, Syaoran-kun, you should know that I like girls that stand up for what they believe in."

"And Cherry does that?" Syaoran asked.

"I have _never _in my life seen any girl slap a guy because she thought what the guy did to other girls is unfair." Eriol said calmly.

"You have just seen it today." Syaoran said smoothly.

"Yes, well, that's why I like Cherry." Eriol said firmly.

"Ho-Hold on here, you _like _Cherry?" Syaoran asked playfully.

"Got a problem with that??"

"YES!"

"Spit." Eriol said angrily.

"She _might _be my previous girlfriend!" Syaoran argued.

"Look, look, Syaoran, here, the Japanese _princess _and multi-_billionaire _would like a player like _you??_" Eriol laughed. "See ya later!" 

Syaoran scoffed as he watched Eriol fade away. "I'll just see about _that_." 

--

"Konnichiwa, Cherry-chan, Tomoyo-san," Eriol smiled as he made his way in front of Sakura.

"Hello, Kura and Daidouji!" a voice rushed in sit next to Eriol, in front of Tomoyo.

"Li Syaoran?" Cherry said in amusement. "Li Syaoran, the player, comes to sit with _us_, the _only _girls he hasn't played?" Sakura laughed, "how predictable."

"Dumb ass, Kura, I'm here for the beautiful Daidouji-san." Syaoran smirked. Sakura's face grew hot again, but as Tomoyo chuckled lightly, her face grew hotter.

"So, Tomoyo-chan, tell me who do you like to do." Syaoran said uninterestedly.

"H-hey, you know, Tomoyo, we _could _just ignore him and talk about the present and the photo you gave me…" Cherry began.

"Yes, I would like that," Syaoran said, rushing.

"OMG! There you are, Syao-sweetie!" The black-haired girl said as she made her way next to Syaoran, who groaned heavily. 

"Hey Natalie," Syaoran put up his best tired smile and greeted the girl as nicely in front of Cherry as possible.

"Anyway, I found that photo in the museum, and I purchased it, thought it looked like you and another boy…" Tomoyo started, and took out the photo from Cherry's bag.

"Look, look at the girl's _expression," Tomoyo smiled as she looked at it. Eriol noticed her purplish hair covering half of her face, and her ever so amethyst eyes reflecting so much kindness and coolness that he felt that he had blushed for a sudden moment.

"Are you alright, Eriol-san?" Tomoyo asked concernedly.

"Quiet, thank you." Eriol said, blushing harder. "Excuse me while I use the restroom."

"You're excused." Syaoran sighed heavily as ten other friends of Natalie's sat next to them, sucking in the atmosphere.

"May I see that picture, Daidouji?" Syaoran pleaded.

Tomoyo looked from Cherry to Syaoran, confused. "Cherry, you know, it's your picture…"

"Why do _you_ want to see it?" Cherry asked abruptly as Syaoran looked down at the table.

"It might be _her._ My first love." Syaoran sighed. As his face saddened, Cherry's heart ached. She didn't know why, maybe it's because she has _too MUCH _heart to see anyone hurt. 

"I'll show it to you in detention." Cherry smiled warmly. Syaoran smiled back.

The beginning of a new relationship is built on trust and love. 

Will it last??

--

"Great. Just great. Just when I was about to go home I suddenly remembered I have detention today." Syaoran sighed and told the teacher, Ms. Nowastetym, the same teacher that gave Syaoran his 38th detention.

"Well… You deserved it, didn't you?" the teacher scoffed.

"I—"

"I'M HERE!" Cherry rushed in through the door, panted hard, and dumped her bag on top of a table, making a very loud noise.

"This. Is the reason that I could _never _get along with her." Syaoran admitted.

"You don't want to see the picture anymore?" Cherry smirked, "I take it back, I take it back," Syaoran sighed in defeat.

"Now, children, as that is how you will be addressed this afternoon, I will leave right now, so leaving you here about half an hour here alone, and don't you _dare _escape, because the camera is on." Ms. Nowastetym warned.

"Where ya going?" Cherry asked out of curiosity.

"I happen to have a date, Ms. Kinomoto" Ms. Nowastetym announced proudly.

"With who?" Cherry asked again, smiling.

"Mystery Man." Ms. Nowastetym giggled.

"Well, good luck with him!" Cherry smiled warmly as Ms. Nowastetym bid them farewell and left for her car.

"How d'you do that?" Syaoran asked in amazement after Ms. Nowastetym had gone.

"It's something called—skill, just like a skill that will dump your girlfriend without hurting her." Cherry smiled secretly.

"Uh, the picture??" Syaoran eyed.

"Oh, yeah, um," Cherry said, looking in her bag, and took out the single, reddish picture and handed it to Syaoran. "Here." 

"Thanks." Syaoran said thankfully.

A boy and a girl standing in front of a lake with rose bushes circling around it. In the picture was—Syaoran gulped, Sakura Kinomoto, and 

--himself…

**A/N: Yeah, another chap. Hope y'all lyk it!! ^-^ + pls R/R!**


	6. Chapter 6: A Smile

**A/N: ok, to make ONE THING CLEAR**

**Sakura Kinomoto had the accident when she was ten, NOT eight. I'm sorry if that's a _big _problem but I just _happened _to type it wrong. REALLY I apologize. She received the bracelet from Syao on the day before the last day of her departure but it doesn't say in the first chap.**

**TO MAKE THINGS CLEAR!**

******

**Chapter 6: A Smile**

Syaoran stared at the picture one more time, holding it tight in his hands, remembering those precious moments of Sakura and him. He stared into those beautiful emerald orbs of Cherry's and looked at the photo again, searching for his lost soul that was locked inside of Sakura's forever, and somewhat leaned closer to Cherry, but thought better of it.

          "Saku-I mean, Cherry, do you know what Sakura Kinomoto look like?" Syaoran asked.

          Cherry shook her head. She had only known that they were in the same plane together, and that she died—and Cherry herself didn't.

          "You're an exact replica of her face. Her royal highness, I mean. 23rd to the throne of Japan, and the emperor's own distant cousin—the one and only—Sakura Kinomoto. She was also the only heiress to the Kinomoto Grand Hotel, the most prestigious hotel in all Japan—sadly now run by Kailie Corcus, cousin to Fujitaka Kinomoto." Syaoran finished proudly, and then sighed. "But she died eight years ago in a plane accident…"

          Cherry's eyes loosened as she examined the boy's face. Suddenly she felt of the curiosity of why he cared about Sakura Kinomoto so much—no matter what he describes of her. "Li… um, why do you care about Sakura Kinomoto so much?"

          Syaoran looked shocked. "I thought you were smarter, Kura. How can you _not _have even figured it out by now?"

          Cherry's face flushed as she put on an offended expression. "Maybe because I am dense, or maybe, I have _not even tried to figure it out_!!"

          Syaoran smirked, followed by a soft chuckle. "Isn't it obvious that I loved her when I kissed you?"

          "You kiss girls all over the school." Cherry argued.

          "Not really true. That is just a stereotype about players like me. But I have only been kissed three times." Syaoran admitted.

          "Pathetic. You are a total, pathetic _player _who won't even admit that he'd been kissed by hundreds of girls. And just when I thought the better of you, you go and attack my thought again, and make me despise you." Cherry said in contempt.

          "I have not been kissed by hundreds of girls. Just been _slapped _by hundreds of girls. I have only kissed one girl, maybe two, including you." Syaoran said mindlessly.

          "Oh yeah? Just who would ever kiss you?!" Cherry asked, her face getting hotter by the minute.

          "Ah-ha! You face is even redder than your flaming hair!" Syaoran teased, and placed the picture he had held so carefully on her desk. "Sakura Kinomoto kissed me, twice, and then there were you, a totally identical _fool _who had me _fooled_."

          "I AM NOT A FOOL." Cherry warned and grabbed Syaoran's shirt by the collar.

          "You know what made me love Sakura so much?" Syaoran asked gently. Cherry had only just noticed the distance between them, barely an inch away. And as his icy amber eyes bored into hers, she widened her eyes in shock.

          "WHAT?" she asked grumpily.

          "Her courage to stand up for what she believes in."

          For a moment one neither talked, and reluctantly, Cherry let go of Syaoran's collar, and hesitated for a brief moment before she could open her mouth again.

          "A-Are you s-suggesting that I-I might be Sakura Kinomoto?" Cherry asked.

          "Hadn't I made my point _clear _in the past two days?" Syaoran said sarcastically.

          Cherry thought for a moment. "What was Sakura to you, anyways?" 

          Syaoran paused. As the happy and scarce memories that flushed across his head, he began, rather emotionally, "I remember, that whenever I was sad and gloomy, Sakura would cheer me up—she had the smile that would light up a room."

          _She had the smile that would light up a room… _Cherry thought carefully. Where had she heard that from?? The nurse? The bus driver? Tomoyo? Question marks stacked upon her as Syaoran continued.

          "She was my first love. I promised to never love anyone other then her even though she made me promise to have lots of girlfriends." Syaoran sighed.

          "So you kept your promise—in a way—but you didn't keep the one you secretly had yourself?" Cherry asked, interested.

          "Not true. See, I kept my promise by having so many girlfriends whose names I can't even remember, but in my heart I knew—that I could never love anyone again but her." Syaoran saddened by the moment. Cherry looked at him in sympathy and patted him softly on the shoulder.

          "I was hoping—I was hoping that the minute you walk in, you would remember me, so I kissed you—even though I knew in my heart, that Sakura Kinomoto is dead, and that you might not be the her." 

          "Oh." Cherry nodded. "Did she make a promise to you too before she left?"

          "Yes." Syaoran said abruptly, and turned his face away.

          "Well… aren't cha gonna tell me about it?" Cherry smiled. Syaoran looked at her face of complete innocence—_she had the smile that would light up a room._

          "She promised that we would one day meet again, but she didn't keep it." Syaoran finished off unwillingly, avoiding Cherry's anxious eyes.

          "What if she _did _keep it? What if she's back??!" Cherry asked.

          "That may be. You _might _be her." Syaoran said observantly. "You have got her looks…"

          Cherry smiled. Again she lifted up his spirits and made him like her even more. "I think this belongs to you, Syaoran Li." Cherry took something from her backpack and dropped it carelessly on Syaoran's hand.

          "Catch'ya later, Li!" Cherry laughed, and left for the exit. Syaoran glanced at the clock, and found it 4:30 already. He then looked down at the cold metal that she had just dropped him—it was the necklace that he ordered for Sakura. A silver, heart-shaped necklace with the initials _S.L. + S. K. Forever._

_          S.L. + S.K._

_           Forever…_

--

          "Did you hear?" Natalie squealed excitedly to her friends. "The school is having a dance this Friday!" 

          "Omigosh! I have just the perfect outfit!" Another cheerleader, Kristen, squeaked. Syaoran pressed his hands against his ears. He was growing tired of the constant squeals and screams of his girlfriend's girlfriends, and a growing anger was rising inside of him. He glanced over at the other sides of the table, where Cherry, Tomoyo, and another popular group of friends sat. He admired them so much that he'd do just about _anything _to be with them.

          "Syao-darling," Natalie said smirking, "aren't you going to ask me to the dance the day after tomorrow?"

          "No." Syaoran answered before he could think. "And I think we should break up now."

          "WHAT?!!!!" Natalie screamed. The whole school grew quiet, their curious eyes shot forward toward Syaoran.

          "Yes. WE _ARE _breaking up." Syaoran muttered. "_Definitely _breaking up."

          Cherry, who had just sat down at the opposite end of the table, slapped her hand so hard on the table that the noise of it rumbled the whole school. 

          "There goes that Kura girl again." The students wooed.

          "Don't you dare break up with her just because she asked you a question!" Cherry snapped.

          "That's none of your business, _retard_!" Syaoran murmured angrily. "She's the longest person I've ever gone out with. Besides, she's too fat for me."

          Cherry's face grew hot. "First of all, one day and a half is _not _long, you Li idiot! Second of all, you're breaking up with a girl because she's too _fat_?!"

          "You think so too?" Syaoran asked sarcastically. Natalie looked between the two, and burst into tears. Cherry hurriedly stepped up to Natalie and patted her on her back.

          "You stupid jerk. After all that you promised Sakura Kinomoto, I'm sure she didn't mean for you break every single girl's heart!" Cherry argued.

          "Oh yeah? Why do you care so much for her?" Syaoran asked.

          Cherry stared blank. _Yeah… why did I care so much for her?_ She glanced hotly toward Syaoran, whose stubborn amber eyes shone ever so brightly under the lights, and suddenly, she felt a strange frisson running about her. She was falling deeper and deeper into a steep, dark canyon that has no end to it.

          _Yeah… why do I care so much of that stupid Kinomoto?? _

She had the smile that would light up a room…

**A/N: I dunno if this chap's really good or not… I hope it's good tho… neways, RR!!! Must do!! 'k?**


	7. Chapter 7: A Hint

**Special Dedication to Friend-V, on her b-day, 02282004, who turned 15!! Sorry/// I couldn't upload a fic on ****ur**** b-day and u wanted this chap so yeah :)**

**A/N: thank u so much 4 the reviews! Luv em and keep 'em comin'!**

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**Chapter 7: A Hint**

Several weeks has passed since Cherry had ever _intended _to talk to Syaoran. She was surrounded by cheerleaders, jocks, and friends. Actually, it _had _been the happiest weeks of her life. The dance on the fifth day of school had been canceled, and has been moved onto Friday next week at eight. 

          As the months reached deeply into November, the warmness of Thanksgiving came in as students rushed through the halls, scanning through gift bags of presents, and tossing them onto the hands of their friends. Cherry smiled gently at the pleasantness of her school, and was glad in not having to talk to Syaoran at all.

          Speaking of Syaoran, the soccer captain of the school, who has been voted top-10 jocks in the school, stopped dating girls and grew quieter day by day. Rumor has it that the Kura girl just "had" him, and it ruined his habit of dating.

          "I'm telling you, Syaoran, just because Cherry 'mocked' your style of dating, does not mean that you should abandon it all together," Eriol said concernedly.

          "And why should you care?" Syaoran replied coldly, his eyes focusing on the bracelet that Cherry had given him months ago.

          "I'm worried, Syaoran, that you're going to end up lonely like that last jock, what was his name? Um, oh yeah, David Farragut! Look how _he_ ended up!" Eriol argued.

          "For your information, David is perfectly fine at a large advertising company, _managing._" Syaoran rolled his eyes.

          "And he ended up _single. SINGLE. _Can you even _bare _that word?" Eriol sighed.

          "Aren't you single, too, Eriol?. And oh yeah, my bud, don't you _like _that Kura?" Syaoran asked.

          "Y-yes." Eriol blushed deeply. "But I like her friend more."

          "Oh yeah? Which one?" Syaoran raised his eyebrow mysteriously.

          Eriol turned around, his face red as an apple, and stood up to catch up with the other jocks. "See ya later, buddy!" he called after Syaoran.

          Syaoran sat at his desk alone, thinking of Eriol's words. _And he ended up **single. SINGLE. **Can you even **bare **that word?_

          Single. _Single. _Siinnggle. Syaoran played around with the word, and chuckled lightly. The truth is, the word itself isn't so ugly at all compared to the reality. And besides, of course _he _could bare that word! The famous Syaoran Li can bare _any _word! But now, his mind was on someone else. Someone else as in the auburn-haired girl with the emerald eyes.

          _Yup.__ THAT some**one** else._

Syaoran sighed as he looked around him. The world rushed by his side, leaving him sitting at his desk, lonely as ever, without a friend, and _single._

          So what? Wasn't Syaoran always single when he knew Sakura?

--

          "Cherry, Cherry, girl, you should really go talk to Syaoran!" Tomoyo said impatiently. "I mean, after all, S.L. was Sakura's soul mate!" she had laughed her famous "OHOHOHOHO" laugh.

          Cherry snorted. She had been _perfectly _happy without the bother of that self-centering, mouth-blabbering, and also cute_ brat_. Those weeks were her happiest, and if Syaoran comes over and bothers her—usually she _would _go crazy about how he treats his girlfriends, but then again, she felt the same sympathy for him as she had been feeling two months ago.

          _The boy is lonely_, Cherry thought, _and loyal to the one he loves_.

          Cherry chuckled lightly at the "memory" of this, closely followed by Tomoyo's humorous glance, and finally she clapped her hands together, roaring. "FINE. I _will _go talk to him. But you gotta tell me _what._" 

          Tomoyo looked at her in a strange way, but smiled altogether. "Well… isn't that _simple?_ All you have to do is ask Syaoran to the dance next Friday."

          Cherry swallowed. "Excuse me?"

          "Yes, and I'll make you the _perfect _outfit. It's going revolve around the theme 'pink', with a hot pink spaghetti-strap top dotted with lavender roses and a black skirt with cute rings and strings attached to it, like a cocktail dress… in that case, a skirt." Tomoyo went on with her imagination.

          "Oho ho _ho_, Tomoyo, there is _no way _that I am going to ask that _brat_ out. Not ever, not in eternity." Cherry shook her head.

          "So you are planning to ask him?" Tomoyo smiled.

          "What did I just say?" Cherry stared in disbelief.

          "You know, your naive natures do not suit what you have just said. Eternity and ever will have to come to an end, and you are _considering _the chances when it ends." Tomoyo smiled wittily. "_And, _that _BRAT_, whatever you call him, happens to be the loyal, athletic, intelligent, popular, cute, and _hot _boy who kissed you."

          Cherry flushed hotly.

          _And so help me, God. _She prayed.

          "So, what do you think?" Tomoyo asked.

          "No way. No freaking way am I _ever _going to ask Syaoran out."

          "Remember what I said, Kura, ever has to-" 

          "TOMOYO!!!" 

          "Sorry."

          Cherry scoffed. Asking Syaoran out? What did they think she was, a super woman? After all, she would not like to get dumped by someone for a day and a half, max—if only she could _survive _that long, which, she convinced herself that she wouldn't, and getting dumped just because someone thinks she's too fat.

          _Hello! Ridiculous!_

Syaoran emerged into the room, taking his navy blue backpack with him, wearing a N'SYNC T-shirt and blue jeans, and looked extremely cute. He settled behind Cherry for their math class, and did not even make an effort to glance up at the confused girl in front of him.

          "If only you were less abominable," Cherry whispered. Syaoran, for the first time, in weeks, glanced up to meet those emerald eyes wrapped in hatred, and locked his eyes within hers.

          It seemed eternity that their eyes met, but eternity, at last, comes to an end as Tomoyo has predicted. 

          "Um, Sy-Syaoran…" Cherry's voice was shaking, "Would you like to come to the dance with me next Friday?"

          "She had the smile that would light up a room," was Syaoran's reply.

**A/N: How d'ya lyk this chap??? Huh huh huh huh huh huh????!!!!! RR pls! Guess wut Syaoran said?? Yes or NO???? (hint: smile)**


	8. Chapter 8: A Lost Memory

**Special Dedication to: Miroku34 and me! Our b-days are on 4/28! She's turning 15 while I'm turning 14!!! Yeah yeah yeah!**

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**A/N: Another chappie!!**

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**Chapter 8: A Lost Memory**

"So is that a yes or no?" Cherry asked.

          "Why do you want to go out with me?" Syaoran asked amusingly.

          "Look, idiot, I'm simply trying to make up what I have done to you two months ago. I mean, even since what I said to you during that time when you and Natalie broke up, you haven't been going out with anyone. I thought you might like to go to the dance, and I AM ONLY TRYING TO BE NICE." Sakura replied.

          "Oh, I feel so loved!" Syaoran muttered sarcastically.

          "Fine. I will ask Eriol out." Cherry turned around.

          "FINE. Go then." Syaoran stuck out his tongue.

          "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Tomoyo whispered angrily as Cherry turned to her books.

          "What? The guy is a freak." Cherry answered simply.

          "But you are supposed to ask him out!" Tomoyo argued.

          "He's crazy. Simply out of this world." Cherry shut her eyes in relief. "I would _never _go out with him."

          _Never go out with him…_

_          Never…_

_          Go…_

_          Out…_

_          With…_

_          Him…_

          Syaoran stared blankly into the space between them. Everything went black. Was he really that unlovable? Would no one really want to go out with him? Eriol's words sounded inside of him again—"_ And__ he ended up **single. SINGLE. **Can you even **bare **that word?_" 

          He glared at Cherry's back, and focused on her. She looked so much like Sakura Kinomoto, Syaoran thought. Did Sakura Kinomoto love him? She never said the word… Does that mean that she doesn't love him?

          Syaoran sighed in frustration. Everything's a mess. The only reason he didn't want to date was because of the deep scar that Cherry has given him. _"Sakura might still be alive!"_ An auburn-haired girl smiled widely at him, her emerald eyes glimmering under the bright sunlight. 

          _"Syaoran, you know, you gotta make a friend some time," Sakura smiled._

_          "I don't care. As long as I have you, I'm alright." Syaoran replied simply._

_          Sakura sighed deeply. She placed her hand on his face and turned him around. "Someday, you just wait, Syaoran, there won't be a Sakura Kinomoto anymore. Someday, Syaoran, you are going to find a girl who is more beautiful, more intelligent, and more athletic than I am, Syaoran, and you are going to love that girl forever, and protect her with everything you have."_

_          "Sakura, I have already found that girl." Syaoran whispered._

_          "Oh?" Sakura smiled secretly._

_          "It's you." Syaoran answered after a while._

_          A soft chuckle rang from his side. "Syaoran, you don't love me. You just have a crush on me, that's all. This isn't love, Syaoran, this is 'like', love is—well, love is a beautiful emotion that makes you all tingly inside and makes you want to spend the rest of your life with the person you love." Sakura smiled._

_          "It's love, Sakura." Syaoran said definitely. "I want to spend my whole life with you."_

_          "Syaoran, we're only ten," Sakura laughed, "besides, we're best friends! We are going to spend our lives together anyways!"_

_          Syaoran gazed at her face, his piercing amber eyes reflected sadness. Sakura smiled, "Come on, Syaoran, let's go home!"_

--

          Syaoran lowered his head in thought. The class bell has already rang. As he got out of the room, he found Cherry talking to Tomoyo. 

          "Cherry," Syaoran said in a rush.

          "What, Li?!" Cherry said grumpily.

          "You got a minute?" Syaoran said nervously, racing his hand through his chestnut hair.

          "Can't you see I'm talking to Tomoyo?" Cherry said, annoyed. Syaoran pursed his lips, and grabbed her towards the janitor's closet. As he slammed the door behind him and turned the light on, he sat on top of a big bucket and gestured Cherry to do the same.

          "Excuse me, Li, I believe that I was _just _talking to Tomoyo?!" Cherry shouted. "And I am _so _not going to sit on this stinky bucket."

          "Shut up." Syaoran said, annoyed with Cherry's pickiness. 

          "Why did you drag me over here?!" Cherry demanded.

          Syaoran looked around in irritation. "I need to talk to you."

          "_I need to talk to you_," Cherry imitated.

          "Will you shut the fuck up and _listen _to me?!" Syaoran yelled, grabbing Cherry's wrist and pushed her against the wall. Cherry breathed, and quieted down.

          "L-look, I'm sorry, Cherry, I think I'm having an emotional breakdown right now," Syaoran said as let go of Cherry's wrist.

          "I-I'm sorry too, you know, f-for being such a b-bitch," Cherry apologized. "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

          "I-it's not so important, but, I need an honest answer." Syaoran sighed.

          "OK," Cherry nodded.

          "Tell me the truth—why did you want to go out with me?" he asked. 

          Cherry paused for a moment. "W-well, I thought that you were lonely a-and loyal to the one you love—"

          "Sakura Kinomoto doesn't love me." Syaoran cut in.

          "WHAT?!!" Cherry shouted.

          "After you asked me out, I remembered Sakura's words. She knew she was going to die before me, and well, she said that someday I'll meet a girl that I love, and would want to spend my whole life with her." Syaoran said sadly. "I told her that she was the only one in my heart, but she simply laughed."

          "Laughed?" Cherry asked.

          "Yes, she laughed. It was the most beautiful sound in the world, and it is fading away from my memories." Syaoran sighed and lowered his head. "Well, I learned that our love is just a made-up fantasy created by me to remember her."

          "That's not true! You shared beautiful memories together, and you loved each other so!" Cherry exclaimed.

          "Cherry," Syaoran said sadly, his eyes showed full of disappointment, "she never loved me." As he opened the closet door, and waved a simple good-bye to Cherry, his shadow emerged out to the door.

          "Wait, Syaoran!" Cherry called after. Syaoran stopped in his tracks, and whispered in a low voice, "What?"

          "S-Syaoran, you said that I might be Sakura Kinomoto right?" Cherry breathed.

          "Yes." 

          "Well, do you have pictures of her?" Cherry asked concernedly.

          "I have about five." Syaoran replied slowly.

          "Can I see them? If they looked like me, we might match my DNA with Sakura's, or see if she has a twin! Then I'll be able to tell you whether she loved you or not!" Cherry said excitedly.

          Syaoran thought for a moment before deciding that it was a great idea. "Sure, I'll bring them to school tomorrow."

          "Great, bye!" Cherry smiled and jogged down the hall.

          _She had the smile that would light up a room…_

          "Hey Kura!" Syaoran called after.

          Cherry turned around with a puzzled face. "What?" 

          "You wanna go to the dance with me?" Syaoran asked nervously.

          Cherry smiled. For a moment, Syaoran thought she was going to say no. "Sure! Why not?"

          _"Someday Syaoran, you just wait, there won't be a Sakura Kinomoto anymore. Someday, Syaoran, you are going to find a girl who is more beautiful, more intelligent, and more athletic than I am, Syaoran, and you are going to love that girl forever, and protect her with everything you have." _

**A/N: How was this chap?!! Please RR!! *luv this fic***

**Please also read **

**//Eyes of Hate//**

**//Ultimate Betrayal//**


	9. Chapter 9: A Flashback

**DEDICATED TO Annelee, whose b-day is on May 3rd!! Happy b-day Annelee!!!  
  
A/N: Sorry;; I've been so busy lately with like, 4 projects! So pardon this chap if it's bad or sumthng!  
  
Chapter 9: A Flashback**  
  
"So, he asked you out?" Tomoyo smiled wryly.  
  
"Well, he kinda did," Cherry said, blushing. "But I think he did it so he can enjoy the night with a Sakura-Kinomoto-look-alike."  
  
"That's not true!" Tomoyo protested. "The guy is totally in love with you. What can I say? He's confused."  
  
"Confused?" Cherry asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah, sure! He's confused because you look like Sakura and you act like her, but you guys are totally different people—at least to him. You've got different names and different personalities. While Sakura is kind and generous, you're... well... you're-" Tomoyo paused, "You're special in your own way."  
  
"Right... so he likes us both, but he's confused whether or not we're the same person?" Cherry asked.  
  
"Sort of..." Tomoyo sighed, and smiled at Cherry. "The dance is tomorrow, has he brought the pictures yet?"  
  
"I don't know..." Cherry said disappointedly. "Just how good is that Sakura Kinomoto anyway?!"  
  
--  
  
Cherry walked alone in the hall. It was after school already, and no sign of Syaoran anywhere. She began to get more disappointed by the minute, for Syaoran didn't even come up to her at all today.  
  
Is he okay? I don't seem to have seen him in school today! Cherry thought in pain. Where was Syaoran? Why is he avoiding Cherry? WHERE THE HELL IS THAT STUPID LIL' IDIOT?!!  
  
"Cherry!!" Someone tapped Cherry hard on the shoulder. She jerked aside, whining at the pain the person has caused her, and whirled around angrily to meet the guy's eyes. Her frown turned into a bright smile instantly as she greeted, "Good afternoon, Mr. Li!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever... Anyways, I got these pictures from home of me and Sakura, here, look at this," Syaoran said impatiently while taking out a colored photo of Sakura Kinomoto smiling at the camera.  
  
Cherry gasped at the picture. Sakura was holding an ice cream cone while kissing an angry-looking Syaoran on the cheek. Her flaming auburn hair was trimmed to shoulder-length, while her large emerald orbs showed to be in a state of shock as the camera clicked, but managed to smile anyways. The photo of Sakura Kinomoto matched Cherry's appearance, and no matter how she sees it, it always remained the same—  
  
Pleasant and warm.  
  
Cherry raised her head up slowly to gaze at Syaoran's face, who leaned against her for a clearer view of the picture, and reached her fingers to brush his hair with her hand. Syaoran, who's definitely confused, looked back at her, and smiled.  
  
A smile... Cherry thought. A long time ago, someone smiled at me...  
  
_An auburn-haired girl sat on a bench near the park three blocks away from her home, and cried, stiffing and snuffing on her hand.  
  
"Here," a cold voice pierced into the bright atmosphere as a boy, about the same age as her, with messy chestnut hair and handsome amber eyes, handed her a white handkerchief with a wolf's head on it.  
  
"Thanks," the girl murmured softly, and blew lightly on the handkerchief.  
  
"My name's Syaoran, what's yours?" the boy named Syaoran asked.  
  
"Sakura... Sakura Kinomoto," the girl whispered, her eyes red from crying.  
  
"So, Sakura, what's the matter? Why are you crying?" Syaoran asked curiously.  
  
"I-I-My mo-mother is ill..." Sakura hiccupped while holding the handkerchief tightly in her hands. "She's going to somewhere else soon..."  
  
Syaoran nodded in sympathy. For a while both were silent, only Sakura's sniffing was heard in the serenity of the air.  
  
"Think of it this way then," Syaoran finally spoke, "—she's going to go to a better place. Besides, she'll be watching you from above. I mean, being an angel isn't so bad!" he smiled widely. "Daddy disappeared a long time ago, but I don't worry... I mean, if he's happy where he is, then let him be!"  
  
Sakura looked up at the boy and smiled softly. Syaoran patted her on the back, and stood up to leave. "To my brave friend, Princess Sakura Kinomoto," Syaoran smiled again as he took off his orange cap and placed it on Sakura's head, "Always remember, let your parents be happy wherever they are."  
  
...  
  
Be happy... :)  
  
Be brave... 0  
  
...  
  
My Princess Sakura...  
  
_--  
  
Cherry shook her head in confusion. "Did you ever give Sakura Kinomoto a cap when you first met?"  
  
Syaoran nodded in surprise. "Yeah, I did. An orange cap. How did you know?"  
  
"I-I don't. I think I just had Sakura's memory from the past." Cherry said. "It's not abnormal for that, is it?"  
  
"Unless you are Sakura Kinomoto, then yes, it is abnormal. (A/N: I'm so confused with the word phrase --)" Syaoran replied. "You are Sakura, aren't you?"  
  
Cherry paused, thought for a moment. "I don't know... I mean, it can't be, can it?"  
  
Syaoran stayed silent. Then Cherry fell. Syaoran caught her just in time before she landed onto the floor. "It can't be! It can't be true!!! Right? I mean, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HER! I'M NOT SAKURA!" Cherry yelled in frustration while Syaoran placed her next to rows of lockers and sat down himself, holding her shoulders while she leaned against him.  
  
"Am I? Am I Sakura Kinomoto? The legendary princess killed in that awful plane accident?" Cherry asked.  
  
"I-I don't know... I wish you're not though," Syaoran lowered his head in thought.  
  
"W-Why?" Cherry asked, her eyes widening. "Didn't you want me to be Sakura?"  
  
"That was then, before I realized that Kinomoto never loved me. You are you. She is her. You're nothing like her. She's gone. Disappeared! Now, it's your turn. There was no Sakura Kinomoto. At least there wasn't when Cherry Kura is in the house." Syaoran smiled widely, the same smile he had given to Sakura years ago.  
  
"Syaoran! Didn't I make your life a living hell?" Cherry asked.  
  
Syaoran leaned forward to meet Cherry's lips, caressing his hand on her cheeks. "No, idiot, I loved you from the start."  
  
**A/N: Short chappie... sorry... so much projects!!!!! HATE THIS HATE THIS SO MUCH!!!! Neways, yeah... RR plz!!  
  
Please also visit my Network at http: sh-g. tk!!! Please!! Oh, please join as a group member too!!!**


	10. Chapter 10: A Ball

**A/N: so busy --;;  
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**Chapter 10: A Dance  
**  
_I loved you from the start...  
  
I loved you from the start...  
  
Loved...  
  
You...  
  
From...  
  
The...  
  
Start... ?!  
_  
"STUPID VOICES!!" Cherry yelled in frustration. "I can't bear it anymore. I'm going for a DNA test!"  
  
"Cherry?! Cherry, are you alright?" A familiar voice sounded in Cherry's ears, and she realized it to be Tomoyo.  
  
"Yo..." Cherry smiled, "Sup?"  
  
"Cherry, you're mumbling in your sleep!" Tomoyo said worriedly. "We were friends from when I found you lying on the ground after that plane accident, and gave you refuge, but never have you mumbled in your sleep before!?"  
  
"Ugh," Cherry whispered, annoyed, "Tomoyo, just 'cause I live with you doesn't mean I can't mumble."  
  
"I know, I'm sorry." Tomoyo apologized.  
  
"No, no, I'm the one that should be sorry. Lately, I'm just really bothered by Syaoran and Sakura Kinomoto and everything. I really think that I am Sakura." Cherry sighed.  
  
"Really? In what ways?" Tomoyo asked concernedly.  
  
"Well, in a lot of ways," Cherry paused, "such as remembering her past and standing up to bullies—things like that."  
  
Tomoyo nodded. "So, what are you going to do?"  
  
"I don't know..." Cherry said in confusion, can you tell the teacher I'm sick today while I go for a DNA check?"  
  
"Sure," Tomoyo smiled, "you comin' to the dance tonight?"  
  
"Yeah," Cherry gestured, "I'm not so worried about that... Just that I don't have a dress..."  
  
"No need to worry!" Tomoyo laughed secretly as she approached Cherry's closet and opened it- "Ta da! Your prommy dressie!!"  
  
"WOW!!!" Cherry widened her eyes as she observed a pink spaghetti- strapped cocktail dress with hot pink roses framed around the trims. "It's soooo beautiful!!"  
  
"Not to worry, Sakura, my princess, I've got everything ready to go for you!" Tomoyo grinned.  
  
"OOH I LOVE YOU TOMMY!!" Cherry gasped as she hugged Tomoyo tight and strode down stairs. "See you tonight!"  
  
"Yeah, see you!" Tomoyo called after. _What if she is Sakura Kinomoto? _

__--  
  
"Well? Who am I?" Cherry asked impatiently as a tall blonde doctor came into the room.  
  
"WELL?!"  
  
"Miss Kura, from our results-and we have tested this three times to make sure that it is correct, you are—"

--

Syaoran looked around nervously in his black tuxedo, and entered the dance hall alone. Everyone was there—girls, boys, pairs, jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, geeks, punks, Goths—you name it—everyone except Cherry Kura. Syaoran scanned across the hall in anxiety while all eyes locked in him, wondering who would be going with the hottest guy in school.  
  
Syaoran searched high and low for a shadow of Cherry, but found nothing. As he saw Tomoyo coming in with his best friend Eriol (who didn't tell him that he's going with Tomoyo), he strode up directly to her, and asked, "Where the hell is Kura?"  
  
"Cherry?" Tomoyo widened her eyes, "she should be here! I mean, today she went to the doctor-"  
  
"Doctor? What doctor? Is she sick or something?" Syaoran asked concernedly.  
  
"No, as in a DNA doctor?" Tomoyo said obviously. "That's why she wasn't at school today. I have no idea where she is now."  
  
Syaoran nodded, and walked away. _Where is—  
_  
"I'M HERE!!!" A loud voice called from the entrance. Cherry Kura stood in the grand staircase smiling at Syaoran, wearing her pink dress with a diamond necklace and earrings, and walked down the stairs gracefully, looking ever as beautiful. The whole school turned to her, gasping, and whispering, "Wasn't that the girl that criticized Li's way with women? Why's she clinging onto him now?"  
  
As Cherry walked towards Syaoran, he gave her a kiss on the cheek. Cherry smiled, and led him onto the dance floor.  
  
"I've been waiting for you," Syaoran said smiling.  
  
"I've been crying." Cherry sighed.  
  
"Why? Is everything alright?" Syaoran asked concernedly.  
  
Cherry shook her head. She was in a whirl state of serious confusion, and she rested her head on Syaoran's shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't love you before, Syaoran," she started.  
  
"Oh, that's okay. Before I was a real jerk to girls—hold on—you love me?!!" Syaoran gasped.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't love you when we were small... I thought I did, you were my best friend, I couldn't love you—all I could do was to kiss you and cherish you in my heart—even though you loved me... The feeling, the cherish in my heart, was to never go away... and it didn't. For a while, I couldn't remember the past, but now I do. I love you now, Syaoran." Cherry whispered.  
  
"What? What nonsense are you babbling about?!" Syaoran asked in confusion.  
  
"I'm sorry that I forgot about you for ten years. It wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to be together, to be forever, to never be forgotten-" Syaoran placed his hand on Cherry's lips.  
  
"You _are_ Sakura Kinomoto, right?" Syaoran asked gently.  
  
Cherry gazed into his eyes.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH HIM?!!!" A voice cut in as it pushed Cherry aside, making her fall onto the ground.  
  
Syaoran went to help Cherry, and said angrily, "WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT TO HER?!!" As his flashing eyes met the other, he gasped.  
  
A black-haired, ruby-eyed girl with a red top and jean shorts stood in his way, smirking proudly. "_Surprise_, Syaoran..."  
  
"Meiling..."  
  
**A/N: Yeah, evil I AM! Dun worry, it won't ruin the plot! But he'll have to deal w/ her 1st!! yay!! Yeah... well... it's a lil confusin but send ur questions anywayz!**


	11. Chapter 11: A Surprise

**A/N: thanx 4 soooooooooo much reviews!! Thanx a lot!**

**--**  
**Chapter 11: A Surprise  
  
** "Step _away_ from my fiancée, you red-haired retard!" Meiling roared in frustration as Cherry rubbed her head in pain. The whole school stopped dancing and gathered around the three.  
  
"You stay away from her." Syaoran warned. "And how many times do I have to tell you, I AM _NOT_ YOUR FIANCEE?!"  
  
"You are _so_ my fiancée! I'm Meiling Li, your cousin, and we were betrothed at birth, and our wedding is said to be after college!"  
  
Syaoran blushed while the whole school "whoo'ed" . "Mother called it off!"  
  
"Yes, but _my_ mother didn't. The wedding's still on, and as long as I'm your fiancée, no girl is going to approach you anymore, you big two-timer playboy!!" Meiling sneered while Syaoran growled.  
  
"Well, no one's going to go near him anymore, under your care, that's for sure," Cherry muttered, standing up from the floor.  
  
"What? Y-you can't do this, Meiling! Cherry's my date for this dance!" Syaoran yelled, but Cherry gestured.  
  
"It's okay, Syaoran, I understand. Meiling wants you to only love her. It's only stating the obvious. I understand completely. After all, that's what couples should do, right?" Cherry smiled.  
  
Meiling smirked while Syaoran stared at Cherry blankly. "Cherry, I'm sorry we didn't finish our conversation earlier, but are you Sa-"  
  
"Uh-that's okay, I'll call you tonight!" Cherry said as she ran up the stairs and out the door. Syaoran could only watch as her shadow was being swallowed into the dark misty night.  
  
"So, may I have this dance?" Meiling flinched her eyes.

--  
  
Cherry walked on the street alone, thinking of this mysterious girl, Meiling. Syaoran has a fiancée? She thought, and when I have just been in love for the first time in my whole entire life—although it took me long enough to recognize it, with circumstances being that we both totally resent each other and all—but still!  
  
The darkness of the night surrounded Cherry as tears of regret and hatred fell dangling on her rosy cheeks. If only I hadn't fallen for that fool of a boy!  
  
So, in a way, Syaoran cheated on her. He had another affair with another girl while going out with Cherry at the same time—and just when she found out that she was really Sakura Kinomoto through the DNA test, her life was flipped upside down. As Cherry lifted her eyes to meet the Hong Kong Grand Hotel, she felt something that she has never felt before—to return to royalty. The Japanese papers will fling at the sight of the long- lost princess, and the Kinomoto Hotel will be returned to her, in honor of her royal family...  
  
She will be the dream of _every_ teenage girl in Japan...  
  
She will take _every_ boy's breath away...  
  
She will have the most _luxurious_ things...  
  
She will own the most _precious_ jewelry...  
  
She will have seen the most _amazing_ sights...  
  
And all at a price of never seeing that deceiving, conceited,_ baka_ again... That's a good deal... _Right?  
_  
_ Cherry suddenly lost the strength in her body as the boy met her lips. He gazed at her emerald eyes gently, locked within her orbs.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing??" Cherry asked, and slapped the boy.  
  
"Great. That was my 966th slap. Do girls have to get so emotional when guys kiss them??" the boy asked, rolling his eyes.  
  
"They do if they don't know why the hell you kissed them!"_  
  
Haha... that was so funny! HOLD ON. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!  
  
_ "Syaoran! Didn't I make your life a living hell?" Cherry asked.  
  
Syaoran leaned forward to meet Cherry's lips, caressing his hand on her cheeks. "No, idiot, I loved you from the start."  
_  
Stupid memories! Get the hell out of my head!  
  
_ S.L. S.K.  
Forever...  
  
_That stupid bracelet! Why did Syao—  
  
Cherry paused. The bracelet! Where was it?! She remembered that she had given them to Syaoran to remember Sakura, but now, since she _is_ Sakura-  
  
"CHERRY!" An anxious voice sounded from afar.  
  
Cherry wiped her tears as she stubbornly turned around, greeted by a kiss and a flash of amber. "S-Syaoran?" she asked.  
  
"Yes. Cherry, I'm so, _so_ sorry about tonight. Meiling wasn't supposed to come, I mean, Mother already called off the engagement-"  
  
"You needn't explain," Cherry smiled, "I understand."  
  
Syaoran nodded. "T-there's something I need to tell you."  
  
"Yes?" Cherry widened her eyes.  
  
"I—I love you." Syaoran whispered. Cherry stared.  
  
"I'm Sakura Kinomoto." She said gently.  
  
There was a sudden shock in Syaoran's eyes, but they seem to soften away. "You know, ever since you came to my school, I can't help myself but think about you every night in my sleep. Even if you're not Cherry Kura—"  
  
"I'm not Cherry Kura." Cherry said seriously. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's alright. You'll always been Cherry to me," Syaoran laughed.  
  
"No, you don't understand, Syaoran. Everything's changed. I'm going back." Cherry stated obviously. "I've decided that I want to be royal.""  
  
"Be royal?" Syaoran asked in surprise.  
  
"Remember? The things you told me? Of how I am the supposed princess of Japan and 23rd to the throne, and how they think I was 'killed' in a plane accident and how my family owned the Kinomoto Grand Hotel? I_ want_ those things back. I _need _those things back. In fact, I want the family I will never remember back. I want everything back I was before." Cherry stated monotonously.  
  
"No, you can't go back! I mean, they already think you're dead, and your hotel is managed by another woman—w-what about Cherry Kura? So, you're just going to leave her here? Leave her memories here? Is that what you mean?" Syaoran shouted angrily.  
  
"I've made my decision. I'm going back to become who I was. Do you know how long it's been since I've wondered who I was? When I first awoke from the accident, I didn't remember who I was. I've gotten amnesia. And my only dream afterwards was to be loved. And now, I've achieved my dreams. But the boy who I _thought_ loved me broke my heart.  
  
"That's not true! I still lo—"  
  
"And as for Cherry Kura, she's a _nobody_. Her memories will be brainwashed. They never existed. They never _have_ existed. They never _will _exist. End of sentence." Cherry flashed her emerald orbs.  
  
"What about me? Cherry Kura existed in Syaoran Li's eyes. She did exist!"  
  
"You never did care about me. If you did, then that's your problem. I'm Sakura Kinomoto from now on. I've never met you in my whole life, neither have you I. We will continue on two different paths, and they are never to cross—they were never meant to cross anyway. This whole school thing—over." Sakura said firmly.  
  
"What? What about us? I've loved you since the beginning of time, and you have rejected me. But now you come back to me and well, I love you, again, and this time, you hadn't rejected me, and you treated me like a decent person, like the way I deserve to be treated." Syaoran argued.  
  
"Look, you deceiving, conceited_ bastard_! You were _already_ engaged. I don't care what you say, but you are going to marry that Meiling when we finish college. You were just playing my feelings because you think I look like your childhood friend—that's real cold, playboy—who I don't know if you really met her, and just dump me like that in front of the whole school." Sakura said resentfully.  
  
"I never dumped you! I knew Sakura Kinomoto, I really did. But since you are the same person, I just want Cherry back, if not, her memories of us."  
  
"Well, you just lost her. Is this what you want? I guess you finally went out with every single girl in the school haven't you?" Sakura said coldly.  
  
"That was then. I've changed since then, Ch-Sakura. I've only ever loved you, but my memories of you—they changed gradually over time as the new you found me. I love you both, but I can only choose one, and that's Cherry." Syaoran said truthfully.  
  
"Look, playboy, Cherry's gone, and you don't like Sakura Kinomoto, so let's just end it here, okay?" Sakura shouted into the dark amist atmosphere. "Goodbye!" she ran.

_Home or Love?  
  
Deceit or Forgive?  
  
Happy or Regret?  
  
_Didn't I make your life a living hell?  
  
Amber eyes sneered at her.  
  
"Of course, you big liar!" Sakura screamed.  
  
**A/N: yeah, sad chappie... now she has to choose between love or her home... tough choice (I'd choose home tho cuz I luv my parents and my family, and you can always love another person!) oh well... hope u enjoyed it! RR!  
  
Ok, syao doesn't like saku cuz saku rejected him... remember when she said "someday ur gonna find a girl that you luv more than me..." and whatever? He doesn't really like her anymore since cherry stepped in. that's why he wants cherry (And her personality w/o the snobbishness) to stay. Get it? Yeah me too... -.- so confused...  
  
--  
  
Survey time!  
  
Wut age group are u?  
  
A. 9-12 B. 13-15 C. 16-18 D. 19-21 E. 21 & over  
  
U just have ta write the letters - **


	12. Chapter 12: A White Christmas

**A/N: I HATE MYSELF!! I'M A BAD WRITER!!!! --''**

---------------  
  
Chapter 12: A White Christmas  
  
Thanksgiving's passed after the school dance that everyone talked about in the cafeteria. The story of Syaoran and Sakura spread as far to the other side of Hong Kong. Some were talking about it as if it were a best- selling book while others shook their head. Meiling comes to their school now.  
  
"Syao-baby! Christmas is almost here, what are you gonna get me?" Meiling flashed her big watery ruby eyes, and clung all over Syaoran's shirt.  
  
"Nothing. Get away from me Meiling. I'm warning you." Syaoran said seriously.  
  
"Aww, my pooh bear! Lemme give you a BIG hug!" Meiling laughed as she leaned herself against Syaoran, and placed her arms around his neck.  
  
"Nice _going_, playboy." Some familiar voice rang next to him. Syaoran sighed, and stared up. Sakura and her friends were just passing by.  
  
"What? What's the matter, baby? Aren't ya gonna walk me to class?" Meiling asked.  
  
"Let me think—um, NO." Syaoran said crossly as he pushed Meiling off his chest. He stared afar, his eyes trailing for the shadows of Sakura and her friends.  
  
"Meiling, I'm serious. Get away from me." Syaoran warned as Meiling still would not let go of his shirt.  
  
"Aww, my poor baby, what's wrong?" Meiling asked concernedly while checking her nails.  
  
"EVERYTHING. Especially the stupid fuckin' sight of YOU! Now—oh never mind—" Syaoran rolled his eyes and ran after Sakura. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder.  
  
Sakura turned around curiously, but her head blew smoke when she saw the sight of Syaoran. He said nothing, but took out a nice wrapping from his backpack, and handed it over to Sakura.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Kinomoto." He tried to smile, and ran off.  
  
Sakura stared at the white satin material dotted with silver stars and moons, tied gracefully at the top with a gray ribbon. She did everything she could to throw it away in front of Tomoyo, but instead she placed it on the side of her backpack.  
  
"See, Sakura? Syaoran's really nice. He didn't mean for Meiling to come. She just came unexpectedly. Besides, he already told Eriol and the other boys that the wedding is canceled." Tomoyo smiled.  
  
"I don't care." Sakura muttered. "So, Eriol's your official boyfriend now?" she smiled, trying to change the subject.  
  
Tomoyo blushed. "We're going on a date Christmas eve. You wanna come?"  
  
"No thanks. I don't want to be the third wheel. I'm gonna stay home and cry. I'm leaving the next day at a 10:00 plane to Japan. They've already made arrangements for me." Sakura tried to say it courteously.  
  
"I'm soooooo going to miss you!! Maybe Eriol and I are going to visit ya sometime! My mom's going to Japan for a business trip and she said she could bring three people!" Tomoyo squeaked.  
  
"Who's the lucky third?" Sakura asked sarcastically.  
  
"I don't know, but it'll be good," Tomoyo gave Sakura a thumbs-up sign and ran off to Eriol. Sakura stared at the two, feelings the happiness that she should've felt for herself this time of year. Little did she know, amber eyes stared at her, wondering the same thing.  
  
---------------  
  
Sakura stared out at the snowy window. Everything was white and merry. Red and green dots filled the world with happy little notes. Tomoyo had already gone to the date with Eriol, and her clothing was as beautiful as the angels of Christmas's clothing were.  
  
Sakura sighed. She was in the Daidouji mansion with everything she could ever ask for, and she's going to leave them all behind for a stupid hotel. And maybe a title. And a celeb.  
  
But...  
  
She wished she never found out who she really was—that way, she would've kissed Syaoran the moment he said "I lo—  
  
Hold on. Why was she thinking about that fucking, sophisticated, _conceited_ bastard? The stupid playboy who played with her feelings and nurtured her with lies? Did she ever think that he was going to be in love with her? She didn't even know for sure if he ever knew that arrogant princess—Sakura Kinomoto. News of her accident has been flying around for years! Maybe he just gathered them piece by piece in order to win her heart, like what he did to the other poor and unfortunate girls. But she, Sakura Kinomoto, is _hardball_.  
  
Sakura. **Hates**. Syaoran.  
  
That idiot bastard! Why the hell would he play with her feelings? Of course he would, Sakura thought bitterly, he's the biggest playboy in the whole world! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT GUY?!! How could I have ever trusted him? He's only set out to hurt me. To make me never love again. Sakura sighed. Did I ever think that he was my boyfriend? He certainly didn't. Her eyes scanned across the room, only to land on a small piece of white wrapping radiated with silver stars and moons.  
  
"UGH. As long as I'm alive, I'm never going to open that package." Sakura swore. She looked out the window again. This time, there was snow—white and glittery, like small shiny planets in a dark, misty sky.  
  
"And now, a song dedicated from SL to SK, Spanish Eyes." The radio announcer said cheerfully. "SK, SL sends his deepest regrets and hope that you would forgive him. We hope so too, SK." Sakura whirled around, realizing that the radio was still on. As she approached to turn it off, her eyes caught the words of the song as realization stroked her.  
  
_It's not that I can't live without you,   
It's just that I don't even want to try.   
Every night I dream about you,   
Ever since the day we said goodbye.   
If I wasn't such a fool, Right now I'd be holding you.   
There's nothing that I wouldn't do, Baby, if I only knew—  
  
The words to say, The road to take, To find a way back to your heart.  
  
What can I do? To get to you, And find a way back to your heart...  
  
I don't know how we got so crazy,   
__But I'd do anything to set things right.   
'Cuz your love is so amazing,   
Baby, you're the best thing in my life.   
Let me prove my love is real,   
__And make you feel the way I feel.   
There's nothing that I wouldn't do, Baby, if I only knew—  
  
The words to say, The road to take, To find a way back to your heart,  
  
What can I do? To get to you? And find a way back to your heart...  
_  
Wondering whom SL and SK were, Sakura listened to the song, thinking how beautiful it is. Gradually, as her curiosity took her, she glided towards the small wrapping on the desk, and opened it.  
  
A note fell out. Sakura picked it up—it was a familiar handwriting on a piece of old paper.  
  
_Sakura:  
  
No matter who you are, you will always stay with me.  
  
Have a happy life.  
  
Syaoran_  
  
Sakura stared at the paper. Short as it was, it meant a great deal to her. Have a happy life? What kind of well-wish is that? It's as if that Syaoran wanted her to go. He didn't even try holding her back. Sakura put down the note, and opened the gift. Inside was a small, beautiful-carved bracelet with ice-cream cones and hearts next to each other. Eh. Syaoran must've picked it up at an 80% off sale. There's no way that this will be specially made.  
  
Sakura threw the bracelet against a wall, walked towards the windowsill and placed herself upon it.  
  
On the very front of the bracelet, there was a large heart that stated,  
  
_Cherished in My Heart  
  
SL & SK 2getha 4ever  
_  
**_"No matter what happens, Syaoran, you'll always be cherished in my heart." The young princess smiled.  
_**  
Large tears fell out of Sakura's eyes.  
  
**A/N: okay, stupid chapter. but i really, _really_, want to reach 450. is that okay? i hate to do this but, um, all of u who are reading and not reviewing out there? please review for me!! pls pls pls pls!! i really, _really, really_ wanna reach**** 450! **

**thanx for reviewing! please check out my other stories, Chess Over Boys and Eyes of Hate! pls! i was so surprised at the reviews i got tho... so pls review if u hadn't!**

**Also, i wanna thank all the ppl who reviewed Chess Over Boys chap2. I 4got 2 put it in the chapter (i was using a mac computer and stuff/and it was hard to edit--if you know what i mean), so--**

**thank u! **Mistaken Otaku, Avelyn Lauren, kura52, Dark-Neko-Goddess, Frosted BlossomZ, Azera, Bitter Sweet:Chrysanthemum Dynasty (my other stories are this one, Eyes of Hate and Ultimate Betrayal. Ur a GREAT reviewer! u dun need pointers!), crystaleyez, sai-chan, little wolf blossom, Daggerly, Water Illusion, Swt-Anime-Angel, sally, ChibiYuffie1, Dandy Mandy, KAWAii ANiME ANGEL, fleur137, restless-soul63, YingFa-lilWolf-Lover, azn-kitties, sakura tenshi.AnGeL oF lOvE, Kitten at Heart, Illusioner 1412, sweet-captor, AutumnIllusion, Oo-shield-maiden-oO, bennie babbie, Awai-umi (u can _definitely _give me some pointers!), Carmela-chan, LiL:.CaT:.AnImE, CherryBlossom0101, kawaii lil cherrypink245, Sieg1308.

**and since i'm doing thank u's, i'll just do last chap's as well--**-SilverKat =o.o= -' , synchrogirl, mint-grl, mrowmix, azn.viet, Maroon005, PeAcH bLSsOm, CherryBlossom, animelvr4evr, q, Irene, Dark-Neko-Goddess, hot chocolate, Qleo-chan, gogokitty, orlandosangel, LilWolf4ever713, heartluv, chikichiki, xXSyaoranLuverPinayXx, Tsuki no Tenshi, Liliess, Kawaii Tenshi no Hikari, evil essie pixie, crystaleyez, ori-chan, sweet-captor, sally, PeachBlossom4416, Misty Amethyst, IcyChick, baby-sweet, Illusioner 1412, Avelyn Lauren, Unknown, Carmela-chan, cherryblossom-59, Sieg1308, YingFa-lilWolf-Lover, DS03, LilAngel123, Animekid9, maixwolfblossom.


	13. Chapter 13: A Fever Sleepover

**A/N: WOW!! Thank you all for makin' me reach 450!!! I'M SOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!! Thanks!! I have received complaints about last chappie being bad... I know. I'm just trying ta keep the story longer. But this chappie doesn't suck!! Trust me!!**

**Oh, yeah, and Sakura _did_ see the bracelet. You'll find out in the later chapters - anyway, I just wanta say that if you have any suggestions, complaints, or ANYTHING of that kind—even flames, you can throw them at me! But dun do it on purpose ok? Thanx! **

**Keep your flames limited pls! Constructive reviews are greatly appreciated! And y'all, you are the best readers! Point out ANYTHING you think is wrong (grammar, spelling, wutever) to me in ur reviews!**

**Chapter 13: A Fever Sleepover**

"I remember everything now," whispered Sakura to herself. "I even remember the day when I left Syaoran. He was so sad... He said that he'd never make any friends nor have any girlfriends, but here I am, witnessing the greatness of it all..."

"Ugh. I'm so stupid for talking to myself." Sakura laughed dumbly. _So Syaoran dedicated the song to me, huh? Interesting. He wants to get back. BUT WHO CARES? He's probably gonna want to be my bf so he'd get public attention from the Japanese press. _

Sakura sank into deep thought. The radio was still on, with "Your Top 30 Favs". Suddenly, a series of knocks broke into the warm atmosphere, and stroke Sakura ever so hard on her head.

"Coming!" she yelled. As Sakura approached the door she glanced at the mirror, trying to hide her red eyes from crying. _Never mind, Tomoyo won't care. _Sakura thought cheerfully.

She opened the door abruptly, "Tomoyo, welcome back, though it's only eight—"

"Sy-Syaoran?" Sakura gasped.

Syaoran was red all over, his body radiating heat with snow all over his hair, face, and shirt. He seemed to be wearing a simple T-shirt and sweatpants, coming from a snowstorm. "Um, don't go back." Syaoran whispered as he fell into Sakura's arms.

"What?" Sakura said in confusion as she looked at the feverish Syaoran. "Grr. Now what have you done to yourself?"

She dragged him over to her bed and placed him on her scented pillow. Syaoran sneezed, but snuggled a teddy bear next to him.

"Aww," Sakura said sweetly, "Syaoran's so cute when he's sick."

Sakura reached her hand to Syaoran's forehead, but took it back violently. "He's burning with fever! I gotta get him to a doctor now!" she said determinedly as she reached for the phone and dialed a few numbers. Syaoran sneezed again. "He makes the cutest snee—Oh hi, Doctor Warren! I have a friend who's burning with fever, think you can come over?"

"NOOOOOOOO! I'M HAVING CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH MY WIFE AND KIDS!" Doctor Warren yelled on the other side.

"But-but he's sick!" Sakura argued. "I don't know what to do!"

"Keep him there and take care of him, idiot." Said Dr. Warren as he hung up.

"Wow... he's a super-great doctor." Sakura said sarcastically.

"S-Sakura," Syaoran murmured.

"WHAT?" Sakura barked.

"I-I'm sorry to be of so much trouble. I'll be on my way." Syaoran whispered as he got up to sit on Sakura's bed.

"No, it's okay, you can stay here. I can't let you out in your state. You'll get pneumonia!" Sakura softened, and sat on a chair across from Syaoran.

"Just give me a coat and I'll be on my way." Syaoran said firmly, but fell back to her bed.

"See, Syaoran? You're not okay at all. Besides, you were my best friend. If Sakura Kinomoto knew that I didn't take care of you, she'd be disappointed!" Sakura smiled.

Syaoran didn't answer. He snuggled the teddy bear again. The snow on his body started melting, and he felt hotter.

"Are you alright?" Sakura started to worry, and grabbed a cold towel from the sink in her bathroom and placed it on Syaoran's forehead.

"This helps, I think," Sakura said, nodding, "but now he's all wet from the snow! I gotta remember what Tomoyo told me."

_"Cherry, when someone's sick with fever and their clothes are wet, they can still catch pneumonia. Therefore, you must take off their clothes and change them into a pajama or something."_

"Take off Syaoran's clothes?" Sakura thought out aloud.

"What are you going to do with my clothes?" Syaoran jerked his eyes open.

"You can still catch pneumonia and die, Syaoran, if you don't get your clothes off and change into one of mine." Sakura said seriously. She was being REAL nice to her archenemy.

"Then let me die. I'm planning to kill myself anyways after you leave." Syaoran said casually.

Sakura raised her eyebrows in shock. "No! No! You can't die! I love you too much for you to take ANY risks!"

Oops.

"You love me too much for me to take any risks?" Syaoran asked amusedly, turning around to face Sakura.

Sakura blushed, and took the towel off Syaoran's head. "Wow, you're so hot!" she said in amazement, then realizing that it could mean one of both things...

"Don't change the subject, Sakura. You still love me?" Syaoran asked. Sakura shook her head hurriedly and placed a clean, cold towel on Syaoran's head. "Hurry up and take off your shirt." She said as she dragged Syaoran to sit up.

"My hands are too weak." Syaoran complained. "Just let me catch pneumonia. You don't care anyway."

Sakura growled. "Look, Li, just take off your stupid shirt and change into these pink pajamas ok? Okay, fine, I lied about not loving you. I do! I really do! It's just that, you've hurt me too much with the Meiling incident and everything. Truth is, I want to be with you more than _anything _in this whole world, but I can't. And I can't let you die. You're just going to kill me slowly if you do."

Syaoran watched as tears fell off Sakura's face. He gathered every strength in his body to walk to her and wipe off her tears.

"First of all, pink is not my color." Syaoran said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Second... I'm sorry, Sakura, I'm so sorry." He whispered. Sakura snorted, then gazed into his sad eyes, and reached for his feverish face. She joined her lips with his, and kissed him passionately. Syaoran jumped in shock, and pulled her face away from his.

"Do you want to catch my germs?!!!" He yelled angrily.

Sakura chuckled, and kissed him again. "I don't care. As long as I am with you, I am forever happy."

Syaoran stared, but melted his expression into a wide smile. Then he took off his thin T-shirt, and placed Sakura's pink pajamas on his shoulders.

"Wear it!" Sakura protested.

"I can't! It's a girly color—pink. Besides, I'm weak. I used my LAST strength to wipe off your stupid disgusting tears." Syaoran said numbly.

"Fine, I'll help you with it." Sakura said crossly as she took the pajamas from Syaoran's shoulder and helped him into the sleeves. Then she buttoned it up, and helped Syaoran into bed-sheets.

"You okay now?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran nodded. "You're really warm," he said half-knowingly.

Sakura smiled, and clung onto his shirt. "I loved the song you dedicated to me."

"Yeah, well, I knew you love ballades." Syaoran murmured. "Mind changing my towel?"

"No, not at all." Sakura said as she took the warm towel on Syaoran's head and drenched it into ice water.

"So, are you still planning to go back to Japan?" Syaoran asked cautiously.

Sakura waltzed over and placed the towel on Syaoran's forehead, and sat on the side of her bed.

"You're it, you're the ultimate, it's automatic I'm sure of it," Sakura sang hip-hop-ly.

"That means no, right?"

"No lies, so don't even try, to tell me that you're not the guy. 'cause I've been waiting all my life, for someone just like you, you're it, you're the ultimate-you!" Sakura voiced, and started dancing along with the radio.

"Is that a no? You're not going to Japan?" Syaoran asked anxiously.

"Syaoran," Sakura paused, and turned off the radio, "it's really sweet of you to come by and apologize and all—"

"LI XIAOLANG!" The door burst open, a tall figure emerging from the outside.

"Meiling?" Sakura asked.

"Xiaolang! We were just having our romantic dinner together at the Four Seasons Restaurant when you saw a stripper walking by and caught up to her! God! What are you doing in THIS PLACE anyway?" Meiling shouted.

"I-I-" Syaoran began.

"I was just going to say that I'm still going back to Japan anyway." Sakura whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks, and rushed out the door into the snowy night.

"SAKURA!!!!! WHAT MEILING SAID WAS CRAP! I DIDN'T—"

"Goodbye, Mr. Li."

**A/N: yup... saku' going back to Japan after all. SYAORAN HOW CAN YOU BREAK SAKU'S HEART? **

**wut meiling said wasn't true, she was just making it all up... so yeah :) syao would NEVER do anything like that!!!**

**About the Songs.  
**_Spanish Eyes. _Backstreet Boys  
_Ultimate. _Lindsay Lohan.

**So... PLEASE REVIEW EVERY 1!**

**ps. lil-cb & friend-v did somethin realli horrible 2 me... i'm sad i can't believe they would do things like that! sneakin behind my back and do stuff... read my bio, i'm 2 sad 2 type it out.**

**also... please go to my xanga site!!! /moondocc! and give eProps/sign g-book!**


	14. Chapter 14: A Flight

**A.N. Thanx 4 the reviews!! I still hate my layouts for chapters… but I guess it's really 2 late 2 change now XoX oh well…**

**--**

**Chapter 14: A Flight**

Sakura shook her head, tears down her crystal face. Syaoran had cheated on her again. Seeing a stripper down the street and chasing after her? What the hell was that? If he _wanted_ to ever make up to her, he would definitely have another thought coming. If Sakura ever saw Syaoran again, she would've punched him straight in the face.

Packing her bags and glancing at the clock showing eight in the morning, Sakura sighed. She's leaving Hong Kong today to go back to Tokyo. She has already sent her blood sample DNA to the palace, and was confirmed to 20 agents picking her up at the other end. Meanwhile, Tomoyo hurried in and out making breakfast, and handed Sakura a cute outfit as a souvenir.

"Wow," Sakura exclaimed as Tomoyo sat down next to her on the bed. She had made her a spaghetti-strapped mini-top with pink lines forming into rows on one side and columns on the other; and a pink three-button moon-cut skirt. It was very pretty, and Sakura swore the next thing she would do is to put it on.

Tomoyo smiled generously. "I told Mother about coming to visit you afterwards. She arranged a trip for four people, including her, on the 20th next month. Is that okay?"

Sakura gasped in surprise. "Omigod! Of _course_ it's okay! I'm so happy! That's 30 days from now!" She said as she hugged Tomoyo.

"Sakura," Tomoyo paused as she glanced down at her feet, "are you sure you want to return without notifying Syaoran?"

Sakura stared, her happiness falling. "Tomoyo, he _doesn't **care**_!"

"Looks to me like he does." Tomoyo stated motionlessly.

"Tomoyo, he's engaged to that Meiling cousin of his!" Sakura argued as she entered the bathroom to change. She shut the door closely behind her, trying to get everything Tomoyo had just said out of her head.

"He's not and you _know_ it!" Tomoyo raised her voice. "Sakura, when are you going to realize that he loves you?! Meiling is clearly lying! Syaoran doesn't even enjoy being with her! Do you see the way he _looks_ at her? That's called disgust."

Sakura put her mini-top on in silence.

"Sakura, I think that this is your _biggest_ mistake ever. You're avoiding fate." Tomoyo said obviously.

Long, dead silence.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo asked, alarmed. She walked towards the bathroom, and turned the doorknob. An auburn-haired girl stood in front of the mirror, tears running down her face. She turned, saw the purple-haired brunette with her body against the doorway, and pushed herself at her.

"Oh… Tomoyo, you're right. I _am_ avoiding my fate, aren't I?" Sakura asked as Tomoyo sighed, and wrapped her arms around the fragile body.

"Syaoran was a player. He played with every single girl in the school until you came along. You made him feel ashamed of himself for cheating and breaking hearts. You had the courage to stand up for what you believe in and he respected you for that. He wanted to be friends even if you can't be a couple." Tomoyo admitted.

Sakura pulled herself away from Tomoyo. "How do you know?"

Tomoyo smiled secretly. "Syaoran told me. He said that 'Cherry has the resemblance of Sakura', his childhood crush, and that even though you may not be what you were before (bestfriends), he will always love you."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. Silence hung in the room like a ghost. Then, abruptly, she shook herself free from Tomoyo's grasp and rushed out the door, taking her suitcase with her.

Turning, Sakura glared at Tomoyo's gentle shade of amethyst. "Syaoran is _nothing_ but a conceited, sophisticated, deceiving, unforgiving _bastard_." And slammed the wooden door. "COME TO THE AIRPORT! PLEASE!" Sakura yelled after.

Tomoyo smiled. "Even if they could not be, we will always be friends."

---------------

Syaoran sat at his apartment, uneasy. Glancing at the clock of 8:30am, he reached for a can of soda from the fridge. He had made himself a bacon-and-egg breakfast, memories of last night flooding across his mind like rain.

"Stupid Meiling," he cursed, anger rising. Taking a large gulp from the can, Syaoran carried his tray of bacon and eggs to the living room, and slammed his glass of milk on the tea table.

He placed himself as he has always placed himself—sitting in the middle of the empty couch with a remote control in hand. Then, fingers clambering upward to the "On" button, the TV flashed violently, opening up to the Politics Channel, what he always watches.

"Boring." Syaoran called blankly. His mind raced through the last part of last night at Sakura's house, of how Meiling betrayed him—how she made up those horrible lies. He wasn't at the Four Seasons with that brat Meiling! In fact, he rushed toward Sakura's house after school in his T-shirt (because the heater was on), got lost in the streets, and then it started snowing. He didn't even plan to crash at her place…

Oh great. Now he wished he didn't. If he didn't, Sakura might not even have _met_ that Meiling Trouble-Maker, but then… he wouldn't have kissed Sakura.

Syaoran sighed. "What's done is done." He lifted up his long strip of bacon, stared at it for a long time, and sent it flying across the air onto his TV screen with his fork. "At least I got to spend Christmas Eve with Sakura."

Shaking his head violently, Syaoran ran his hand through his messy hair, remembering what Sakura had said a long time ago.

_"You need to tend those better someday," she smiled._

"I will." Syaoran said determinedly, his amber eyes glared at the television screen. "I will for you, my princess."

Walking into the bathroom, Syaoran took a brush out of the cabin above the sink. He placed the brush in his head, raised it above his head, and ran it down on the wild chestnut. Smiling at his looks, Syaoran was very disturbed when the phone in the living room rang.

He threw the brush at the sink, breaking it in half. He threw it with dramatic force as his heart began to tangle with his nerves. Half-running into the living room, Syaoran grabbed the phone, and shouted, "Yo, dude! What up?"

"Li dude?" the other line questioned.

"Duh. Who is this and how'd you get my number?" Syaoran asked impolitely. This is really _not_ the time for telephone calls.

"It's Eriol, Syaoran. I'm calling to tell you that I'm not going with Tomoyo on a date today anymore." Eriol confessed.

"Why the fuck do you need to tell me? I don't care whether you go with that girl or not!" Syaoran asked, annoyed.

"Thanks a lot, Li." Eriol said sarcastically, "I'm calling, because, Mr. Sophisticated, Tomoyo is at the airport." Eriol tried to explain as nicely as he can.

"The airport? What's up?"

"She's there, Syaoran, with Sakura." Eriol said again.

Silence.

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER?" Syaoran shouted again. "Which airport is she at and what time is it?"

Eriol thought for a moment. "I think… the South one down at Alvander Speedway, just off Highway 94. It leaves at 10."

Syaoran nodded to no one in particular. "Meet me at my apartment. We'll go down immediately. I need your car."

"Okay." Eriol said determinedly, and they both slammed the phone down violently.

Sighing in agony, Syaoran glanced at the clock again. It's longer end pointed at 9. "15 minutes to 9:00am." He said automatically. "Hurry up Eriol."

Fifteen minutes later Eriol arrived at the bottom of Syaoran's apartment, honking loudly. Syaoran merged to the window, waved, and grabbed his winter coat. Shutting and locking the door behind him, Syaoran ran down the stairs, almost falling, and jumped into Eriol's dark-sea-green Nissan Altima XLT (AN: I think… About the XLT part :: dark sea green is very pretty! It's lighter than sea green-yes, lighter, and it's on those Altima's… they look super cool!).

"Let's go." Syaoran commanded as Eriol stepped on the gas. Speeding by 15 MPH, Syaoran stayed impatient, constantly looking at his wrist for the time. Eriol tried to comfort him by saying that Meiling is a bitch that'll do _anything_ to get in the way of Syaoran's business and by saying that his relationship with Sakura will be long before it ever ends. Syaoran listened, but with the loud beat of his heart, he was more focused on other things.

---------------

Sakura and Tomoyo arrived at the North Airport on Jillysumpter Way off of Highway 49, and entered the grand palace-like building with smiles on their faces. Parking the black Lincoln Navigator next to the airport, paying an extra 20 bucks, Sakura opened her eyes to more glory.

"Here's your ticket, Sakura," Tomoyo smiled as she handed a brochure-like ticket to Sakura. Sakura smiled, and taking the ticket nervously, she gazed at the billboard for her flight number.

"618." Sakura whispered. "Flight number 618, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo looked at the billboard marked with 618, and took Sakura by the arm. "That way." She said, pointed to her right.

They jogged toward the flight waiting room, and sat down on the couch. "I can't believe that you're going away like this," Tomoyo said tearfully.

"It's for the best."

"I know, I know. But I get to see you again a month later, right?" Tomoyo asked cheerfully.

"Of course!" Sakura answered as she gave Tomoyo a high-five.

"Promise you'll still have time for someone like me?" Tomoyo cuddled, looking at Sakura with her puppy-eyes.

"You bet!" Sakura smiled. _You bet…_

_Tomoyo, promise me one thing. Don't let the third person you bring be Syaoran…_

---------------

"ERIOL!" Syaoran shouted. "Stop, stop here!" he pointed toward the drive way at the South Airport of Alvander Speedway. Eriol stopped immediately, and rushed Syaoran to the door.

"Man, it's 9:25 already!" Syaoran sighed impatiently. "What is Sakura's flight number?"

Eriol took out a little notebook, raised his eyes in horror, and glanced sideways at Syaroan.

"What. Is. Sakura's. Flight. Number?" Syaoran repeated dangerously. "I don't like the look on your face Eriol."

"I-it's 618." He said.

"618?" Syaoran raised his eyebrow as he stared hard at the billboard. "618. That was Sakura's number last time when she was 'accidentally' killed. 618… I don't like that number. Hold on, why isn't 618 here??!!!!!"

Eriol gulped. "B-because… Syaoran, I think we're at the wrong airport."

Syaoran turned to face Eriol, his eyes glaring with anger. "We what?"

Eriol nodded as Syaoran grabbed the collar of his coat. "Then which airport is it?"

"U-um… the North one?"

Syaoran sighed and let go of Eriol's collar. "Guess fate was just messing with me." He turned around to walk out of the glass doors.

"That's not true!" Eriol argued. "We could still make it in time if we hurry!"

"It's on the _other _side of town, Eriol," Syaoran sighed, "and it's already 9:30am. Face it, Eriol, it's over."

---------------

"Flight 618 now boarding, flight 618 now boarding." The announcer said on air. Sakura looked at Tomoyo, and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm just going to stay a little longer. Until the last minutes."

Tomoyo grinned gratefully. "Oh thank you, Sakura! I'm sooooo going to miss you!"

"Me too," Sakura admitted. She scanned across the whole waiting area for signs of a messy chestnut-haired boy, but found none. _Guess Syaoran's cheating on me after all_, she thought painfully.

"What are you looking at, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked concernedly.

Sakura whirled around, trying to look innocent. "What do you mean?"

"Are you looking for Syaoran? I didn't tell him your plane was today. I thought you didn't want to see him." Tomoyo said sadly, regretting.

"Oh him? I've forgotten about _him_ already!" Sakura reassured, though her heart disagrees with her mouth. "I don't _ever_ want to see him again in my whole life!!"

_Lord knows that's a lie._

"Really? So you're not avoiding fate?" Tomoyo asked.

"Avoiding? Not avoiding. What difference does it make?" Sakura laughed nervously. _Syaoran, you are the _biggest_ asshole on the planet of this earth!_

"Flight 618 now boarding with a five minute warning. Repeat, Flight 618 will take off in five minutes." The announcer repeated.

"Oh, Sakura, it's your plane." Tomoyo said tearfully.

"Yeah… I better go. It's already 9:55. What could happen now?" Sakura admitted sadly as she held her suitcase once again.

"What's inside?" Tomoyo asked. "It seems light."

Sakura grinned mysteriously. "Your letters, our pictures, you and Eriol's video message, Natalie's goodbye gifts, the DNA evidences, the outfit you made for me, and a bracel-that's it." Sakura said hurriedly.

"And a what?" Tomoyo asked.

"Nothing." Sakura lied. She hugged Tomoyo one more time, then after promise after promise, she promised Tomoyo again to see her one month later.

Heading for the entrance to the plane, Sakura looked back once more. Tomoyo stood in the middle of the empty room, a handkerchief glued to her face. She smiled, and disappeared behind black curtains.

---------------

"Eriol? Are we there yet?" Syaoran asked.

"Yeah. Let me pull off here." Eriol said as he parked his car behind a black Lincoln Navigator. "Look, there's Tomoyo's SUV!"

Syaoran didn't say anything but jump out of the Altima, and ran towards Flight 618's waiting room. The clock pointed 9:57, and as Syaoran finally found his way, he saw Tomoyo alone, standing in the empty room, crying.

Syaoran rushed up to her. "Tomoyo! Thank god, where is Sakura?"

Tomoyo turned around, her eyes red. "She left two minutes ago."

Syaoran let out a swear word, and jogged towards the man in uniform standing next to the black curtains.

"I need to see someone, PLEASE!" Syaoran said desperately.

"Ticket please." The man said monotonously.

"Sorry, I don't have one, but it's a matter of life or death!" Syaoran shouted.

"No ticket, no entry."

"GRR!! Can't you just understand?! The girl of my dreams may never see me again?! PLEASE BE CONSIDERABLE! I _swear_ I will come back!"

"Ticket, or I'm calling security."

Syaoran ran his hand through his messy hair in agony. Thinking fast, he punched the man in the face, leaving him unconscious, and disappeared amongst the black curtains.

"Sakura!" Syaoran said on the top of his voice. "Sakura, wait!"

Sakura was on the steps to the airplane when a familiar voice sounded in her ears. She stopped dead in her tracks, turned around, and saw a boy in front of her, breathless.

"Sakura… I'm sorry! Nothing happened last night! Meiling—she was lying!" Syaoran argued. Sakura stared at him.

"You're too late, Syaoran." Sakura said emotionlessly, a single tear falling down her face. Syaoran stretched his head to wipe it off, but Sakura turned away.

"But since you're here, I'm going to leave you with a smile." Sakura said as she did her best to force a smile.

Syaoran gazed at a sea of emerald, and whispered, gently, "That's all I came for. It was your smile that lighted up my world."

**AN: whew! Glad that was over. Neways, you asked for longer chapters, so here they are! **

**Syaoran didn't actually come to see Sakura smiled. He just came because he thought that he would never see Sakura again… that's why. Neways, thanx 4 all the GREAT reviews! Don't hesitate to review again!**

**alright... i m realli realli sorry for the late update >   
HIGH SCHOOL IS SOOO HARD!! i'm failing TT anyways, IM me at lilkugrl or sign my g-book or prop me at :):):) bye!  
**


	15. Chapter 15: A Crushed Heart

**AN: Wow! Thanx 4 the reviews! I love them! Cherished in My Heart rox rite? I THINK SO TOO! I hoped the last chap was long enough! It took a long time to write it… I'm just going with long chaps last time cuz I really want to get everything down of what Sakura thought and stuff like that.**

**--**

**Chapter 15: A Crushed Heart**

Sakura sat by the window, staring at Hong Kong through her watery eyes. She has been living there for almost ten years, and now she's leaving her glamorous past behind, to start a new life—as a princess.

Sakura remembered how she used to dislike Hong Kong, and the only reason she stayed there was to be with her best friend—the cute little Syaoran. She sniggered at the thought of his face of eight years, of how he wished the same wish every year since he was three—to kiss his soul mate, his destiny.

Sakura remembered how Syaoran cussed, how he rebelled, how he maddened—and how she used to cuss with him; to rebel with him; to madden with him—

Young Sakura wished she had never left Syaoran.

She _really_ did.

An eight-year-old could not possibly _love_, can she? The words of her father pierced in her heart. If it weren't for that talk with him, she would've really loved Syaoran. Truly. Fashionably. Stylishly. Passionately.

And yet she was forced to say those cold words that brought sorrow to her best friend. "Someday, Syaoran," the eight-year-old said painfully, pushing away all her true feelings to the trash, "you just wait. There won't be a Sakura Kinomoto anymore. Someday, I _know_ that you are going to find a girl who is more beautiful, more intelligent, and more athletic than I am, Syaoran, and you are going to love that girl forever, and protect her with everything you have."

Sakura remembered parting those words with her lips. When he said, "I love you," she could've swore her heart broke in two, melting into those _cold_, _icy_ words. If it weren't for that talk with her father…

But then, when she was leaving, Syaoran flew her a kiss—her first, most precious, most _desirable_ kiss. She had dreamed about it for long, and she had even dreamed about walking down the aisle with him, in her white, satin dress and a beautiful, cherry-blossomed sash over her head—

All those feelings melted into a kiss as she too, flashed him hers. He placed his tiny hands on her face, and she behind her back—how she always _imagined_ of doing. She cherished the moment forever, and she promised herself to keep it always locked in her heart, like keeping a precious bird in a cage, feathers colored of rainbow.

If it weren't for that talk with her father and that stupid promise!

Why had she agreed to give up her love when she had confessed to her father? Why was she giving away everything that she ever wanted just to be_ rich_ and _royal_?

Part of her was fighting to deny the promise, part of her wanted to do the "right" thing. That part was the part that overpowered her soul—a pure, innocent soul that's untouched by dirt and evil.

Sakura sighed. She thought about her past for a moment before finally realizing that she was _glad_ to have died. If it weren't for her death, she would've probably never met Syaoran again, and would've probably never started a whole new beginning with him, a beginning denied by a stupid promise that she made all those years ago.

Remembering what happened hours before, she shook herself free from that world of young in-love Princess. Syaoran told her that he came to see her smile.

What was _that_?

Why would this stupid playboy, her past boyfriend—at least to her, want to come to the airport _just _to see her smile? That seemed pointless. It means that… Sakura gulped. As painful as this is, she must admit.

He doesn't love her.

What he said earlier was all a lie. Of how she lighted up his world—why, his world was all lighted up before she came along! He was the number one hottest bachelor in their college, surrounded by beautiful girls in abundance, packs—whatever you want to call it, just waiting to have their heart broken by him. She had heard that he played with every single girl in the school before she and Tomoyo had come. He was Mr. Popularity, with girlfriends and boyfriends, with the admiration of geeks and nerds, with the trust and confidence of teachers—he was… Sakura gulped, … _superman_.

So why did he have to lie?

Why did he say she lighted up his world?

Clearly, Sakura snorted, his world was already lighted before her.

AND SHE _MUST _ADMIT THAT.

She _must_.

Gazing at the window, Sakura smiled confidently, as if a new chapter in life was written. She promised herself to forget about the time in college, to _forget_ how mistreated she was by that conniving boy—

It was just like that Britney Spears song… _Every time I dream, I dream of you, it's your face I see, you're haunting me…_

Well, _this_ princess's not going to fall for it.

"Goodbye, past. Hello, world!" Sakura grinned.

---------------

Syaoran sat on his couch with Eriol and Tomoyo next to him. He flipped on the Political Channel, and grunted. Silence shadowed them; his friends dare not say a word.

"As of today's top news, the famous 'dead' Princess Sakura Kinomoto is not dead at all! Joy, joy! After ten years of misleading life, Cherry Kura, an ordinary schoolgirl at Hong Kong University is DNA proof-tested to be the real Sakura Kinomoto, 23rd to the throne! The young royal expressed no comment on how she got off the plane accident so safely, but insisted us that she had gotten amnesia, which is also true. She flies back to her hometown Tokyo, Japan today at ten o'clock AM, leaving her past behind. When asked why, the princess explained that she had just experienced a crushed heart—"

Syaoran turned off the TV with a click and placed his head between his legs. His hands climbed up to his messy hair, both running through it. He let out a frustrated grunt, looked around him, and got up. Walking to the fridge in the kitchen, he grabbed a cold Pepsi, turned around, and asked, "Want anything, guys?"

"I would like—" Eriol began, but Tomoyo made it just in time to pinch him.

"What?" Syaoran asked again.

"Um…" Eriol stared at Tomoyo's angry eyes and shook his head. "Nothing."

Syaoran nodded casually and walked towards his room. Whirling to see his friends, he stood in front of his door and sighed heavily. Then he stretched his hands and knocked them against the wall with a bang, and pushed his head between them. Tomoyo and Eriol watched in fright, not mouthing a word.

Syaoran stayed in this position for a few seconds, then, shoving his hands by his side, he opened the door and slammed it hard. Tomoyo and Eriol stared at each other in confusion.

Syaoran lay on his bed, grabbing a pillow and dumped it on his head. Thinking of the night before, he smiled at the sweet memories. He was very glad that he made it in time to get to Sakura's plane, but a little disappointed at what he said. What if she gets the wrong idea? What if that slow-thinking, dense girl thinks that he came just to see her smile?

That was a stupid thing to say. It was true, but still stupid. During all the frenzy that he had with himself, Syaoran managed to hear the answering machine beep.

"You have one message(s)." The answering machine said automatically.

"Dammit! Why does it _always_ play the message _every_ 30 minutes!" Syaoran complained as he got off the bed and went to the other side of the room.

Before he could reach the "Off" button, a familiar voice echoed in his ears.

"You lighted up my world too…"

**AN: is this chappie long enough? I don't know… I'm _soo_ tired! It's 12 at night. G2g and g2sleep!**

**Ok, thanx 4 all the reviews! Please review this one too!**


	16. Chapter 16: A NewFound Glory

**A.N. **Man... sorry for not updating so long.. i HAD the chapter, but i just didn't find time to upload it lol. wow, fanfiction . net has changed a LOT since i last been here :P everything's all COMPLICATED now! O.O i feel like my mom first discovering the invention of computers... lmao. anyway.. here's teh 16th!

**. moondocc .**

**---------------**

**Chapter 16: A New-Found Glory**

"OMIGOD!" Sakura gasped loudly as she climbed off the steps of the airplane and glanced at Japan for the first time since her long-departed life. The airplane rested motionlessly at the large runway, and the redheaded princess ran towards her very own limo and screeched, sounding like a huge elephant stomping on the ground.

"Welcome to the city of Tokyo, your highness." A bald man in a black suit said half-smiling.

Sakura couldn't get more excited, grinned fully at him, and blurted, "Who the hell are you?" she meant to say "Thank you," but somehow managed to forget.

The bald man frowned, but then lighted up a reluctant smile. "My name is Koizumi, and I am prime-minister of Japan." (A.N. that _is_ the real prime minister y0.)

"Oh." Sakura said in regret. "Sorry. But this place is so great!"

The prime minister nodded. Still smiling, he grabbed the hand of a boy standing behind him, and pulled him to the front. "Princess Kinomoto, I present you my son, Koizumi Joshua." (A.N. _maybe_ the prime minister has a son. Haha, who cares? This is fiction!)

Sakura stared at the boy. He is no older than her, with bright blue eyes and dashing blond hair. His handsome features made him stand out in the crowd of tens of Japanese people waiting for the new addition to their country, and as he took her hand and kiss it softly with his lips, Sakura blushed.

"Japan is great, but I'm sure that my stay here will be greater." The young princess eyed Joshua and blinked. "And cuter." She added quickly.

Joshua smiled, and placed his hand in Sakura's. He led her way in the limo, where the prime minister and his crew had deserted.

"So, can I call you Josh?" Sakura asked excitedly as they both sat down together.

"That's what everyone calls me," Josh smiled generously. His eyes seemed distracted, which caused Sakura to ask him why.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just remembering the first time I saw you. You were still a cute baby." Josh chuckled.

"When I was a baby?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Oh yeah. You were born and my father and I went to the palace to look at you. You were wrapped in pink blankets and my father presented you to me. I was two at the time, and I find you, well, kind of… disgusting." Josh confessed.

"WHAT? What do you mean—'…disgusting'?" Sakura asked accusingly.

"You know how babies were first born and they have that extra skin on their forehead? That like, sheds later on? That's when I caught you. My father placed you in my arms and my eyes just went," Josh motioned his hand comically, and put a look of disgust on his face, "like that."

Sakura blushed for a moment. Too bad such a cute guy caught her at such a bad time. "But you said I was cute!"

"You were. But that was _after_ the skin-shedding thingy." Josh smiled, and looked at Sakura amusingly.

"Yeah… whatever." Sakura shook her head and looked out of the dark window. They were passing by hundreds of skyscrapers that stretched themselves as high as the unlimited sky, and as Sakura shouted ambitiously at everyone, Josh smirked, and pointed them out to her.

"That one's the biggest mall in Tokyo, it sells _everything_; the one next to it is a foreign shoe department, the largest in Japan; the pink building is the best restaurant in Tokyo, and the building across from it is the Chinese-Japanese-Korean buffet. Personally I prefer the buffet, but the Italian restaurant in red, white and green across the street is _way_ better." Josh explained in a playful voice.

Sakura pressed her face against the window and enlarged her eyes to the size of eyes in extremely girlish manga. Josh sat closer and closer to her every moment the limo seemed to turn, but the girl took no notice, and neither did the prime minister's son.

Finally, after half an hour of ultimate screaming, they have finally arrived at the Japanese palace. Josh got out of the limo and ran to the other side, jammed the car-door open, and offered his hand for Sakura to take. She gladly took it, happy at finding someone as good as a companion (for the rest of her life ;) she giggled at the thought) on her first hour at Japan.

The prime minister came hurrying to the other side of Sakura, making her act like the stuffing in a sandwich—she's stuck in between Prime Minister and Prime Minister, Jr. But… so what? At least she's content.

The three made their way through the long palace hallway and into the throne room, where hundreds of reporters stood. As they emerged from the sudden turn of the hallway, the same hundred reporters flashed their cameras and held their microphones to her nose. To the frenzy of it all, Josh stepped up and pushed the crowd away, much to Sakura's relief.

"Welcome to the gathering of our beloved long-lost princess, Kinomoto Sakura," a beautiful lady in a white-satin dress said gently, calming the reporters down. The bald man pushed Sakura up the stairs of the stage and placed her next to the lady, to which, he explained, was the Empress herself.

"Kinomoto Sakura was lost on a plane crash to Tomoeda, Japan, when she was eight years old, and has received serious damage to her brain. The result of it was heavy amnesia." The Empress paused, and then took on. "Since then the princess had no memory of her former self, and thus resided in a mansion of her dear long-time friend, Daidouji Tomoyo. After ten years, however, she has gathered up information from a former friend of Princess Kinomoto's, or, hers—Syaoran Li," at this she stopped, looked over at Sakura, who looked down at her feet. "—Syaoran Li, and was brave enough to go have a DNA Error-Proof Test, which, proved, indeed, that she was, and is, the 23rd princess to the throne, proud heiress of the Kinomoto Grand Hotel, _Grande Kinomoto_, and I hereby admit, my third cousin in line!"

The reporters, here, broke into thunderous applause, and shouted, "Princess! Speech! Princess! Speech!"

The Empress placed her hand in Sakura's, which she kissed, and glided her gently to the center of the stage. "A few words," she whispered kindly.

Sakura gulped. She was wearing the outfit that Tomoyo had given her, which was _very_ inappropriate for this occasion. The Empress is dressed like a bride and she, the target (or victim) of this ceremony, is dressed like a slut teenager (or to the standards of very conservative palace people).

"Um…" Sakura whispered. The reporters fell into total silence, and the only other sound she could hear was Josh's calm breathing, which, the owner of it was standing steadily behind her.

"Um…" Sakura hesitated as some of the reporters began to smell her fear. "I… I-I-I would, um, like to thank you all, fur-for, um…"

Josh stepped up in the nick of time, and handed Sakura a little piece of paper. Clueless, she opened it, and it stated, in neat handwriting, the following.

_READ BELOW:_

Sakura began reading as he had written.

"Dear fellow reporters, camera-men, and the entire Japanese population, thank you all fur-f-for coming to my ceremony of re-crowning my past. I am deeply sorry for the disappearance of myself—" Sakura paused, squeezing her eyes to look at the word that fell into the fold. "—for the last ten years. I had no idea who I was or who I was to become, except for a woman practicing in the field of excellence for the common good of people."

The reporters burst into applause, some shouting wildly like animals. Josh smirked at his good writing, and gave Sakura a thumbs-up.

Gathering confidence, Sakura continued. "I apologize for failing my duties as a princess to the people for the past years and worrying my good citizens. Even though it was an accident I _cannot_ ignore it, with it being my fault. I hope the generous and giving people will forgive what I have done, and let me strive on a new beginning, where as princess, I will do good for the people, rich or poor, happy or sad, sane or bothered—where equality is what I cherish, and common health and wealth is what will be!"

Taking a deep breath at this speech, the Empress smiled charmingly as the crowd burst into cheers again. Josh stepped up next to Sakura and she offered him her hand. Hundreds of cameras clicked at this moment as he led Sakura off the stage to retire to her room for the day. Turning abruptly again at the sudden tunnel of a hallway, they ran away from noise and found peace resting in the air.

"Great job, princess!" Josh laughed, and patted Sakura cheerfully on the back.

"Thanks!" Sakura smiled, "and thanks to you, especially! I had _no_ idea what to say to the reporters. If you weren't there to help me, who knows what might've happened?"

"That's true!" Josh teased. They laughed together and made a run toward the palace garden.

"So… how old are you, Josh?" Sakura asked.

"Nineteen-and-a-half, princess." Josh answered.

"You can call me Sakura."

"No, that's alright. I _like _calling you princess." Josh smirked under the bright sunlight as Sakura punched him playfully.

"So… there really _is_ a boy, huh? Syaoran Li?" Josh asked carefully.

Sakura paused. She didn't really want to get into this right now. "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer it. I was just curious." Josh assured.

"No, it's okay," said Sakura determinedly, "there is no boy. It's over. He's the biggest fucking guy ever."

Josh laughed.

"No, I mean it. He's a jerk asshole, if you know what I mean."

Josh nodded.

"Actually, I'm ready to get into a new relationship." Sakura hinted cheerfully, and leaned closer to Josh.

"Cool," Josh said in density. "Have you found someone yet?"

"You'd be surprised." Sakura smirked playfully.

**A.N. **okay… okay… finally the end of this chapter! Anyway, I hope you don't find Josh as a mean old brat cuz he's soooo not! He's like, this sweet person who likes to help ppl around, but can be pretty playful sometimes. Everyone is attracted to him (if he's real…) I mean, who wouldn't? he's cute, hot, smart, sensitive, helping… _everything_ to look for in a bf. So… no complaints 'bout Josh 'k?

'k, I'm kiddin. I wanna know wut u think bout him! SO TELL ME!

btw... please review! i know a lot of you guys get alerts, but i would _really_ like to know what you think )


	17. Chapter 17: A Heartfelt Apology

**A.N. **hahahahah, I am writing this so late at night right now. So sorry if my grammar is horrible xP.

**Chapter 17: A Heartfelt Apology**

Christmas crept past the students at Hong Kong University quickly as ever. The glittering snow of the winter has melted into the first fresh green leaves of spring, and bright smiling faces of glorious young futures walked through the campus cheerfully, chattering gossip, and exchanging rumors.

The general atmosphere was a happy one. All throughout Hong Kong one cannot find a sad or gloomy face. Only if you know where to look.

For, under that palest oak tree whose leave buds had not sprouted, there stand a chestnut-hair boy who always seemed to look down on his feet, and sighing with discontent.

Eriol and Tomoyo were there with the apprehensive boy deep in thought, but neither of them could say or do anything. They are not gods or mystical fairies, for they have not the power to flip back the sand of that cruel and devilish hourglass.

"Sakura must be having fun in Tokyo right about… now," the chestnut haired boy finally decided to speak, but with a very low voice.

"Dear, _dear_ friend," said Eriol sarcastically, "please _forget_ about that girl. It's time you start examining other beauties."

Syaoran glared at his friend. "Uhh…" he started indecisively, "why are you quoting Benvolio's lines from 'Romeo and Juliet'?"

Eriol blushed. He stroked Tomoyo's arm, who nodded, and they both strode away. Syaoran sighed, watching the two happy birds deeply sunken in love. Ohh… how he wished _dreadfully_ for that to be him and Sakura…

* * *

Life goes on. In fact, life goes on and on and on. It never stops. Some people might say that we are born to die, but that's not true. Life goes on. Because for every person that fades away in the darkness, another person is brought into the light.

"Life is _so_ much fun!" squealed Sakura happily as she gave her hand in Josh's at a dance studio in Japan.

"Really? I thought you'd like this," Josh smiled brightly as he whirled her around, and then placed his other hand around her waist.

"And I do!" Sakura said excitingly. "You are the bestest Josh," she smiled, and kissed him on the cheek.

Josh's eyes popped as the famous princess did this, but when she removed her lips away from his face, he leaned his own to hers.

CLICKK! The sounds of cameras rushed at this famous moment when the prime minister's son kissed the princess of Japan. Though embarrassed at this, Sakura did not displace herself away from his touch, instead she kissed him back.

How warm his lips are! Sakura thought happily. And, oh, how _nice_ it is to forget that little monster!

* * *

Freedom is slavery. That is the universal law that we, as humans, must live by. Sure, Syaoran's free from any kinds of relationship right now, but he is slowly caging himself, blinded by the golden arrows of Adam Cupid, and made a slave for the playful god of love.

They say that Jove laughs at lovers' commitments. Oh, how hard, how _harsh_, how… _heartfelt_ his laugh was!

The handsome boy with the messy chestnut hair still stood under the palest oak tree. Days passed, but one could not tell from the oak tree because the boy was always there, in the same position, always sighing, always motionless, always… pensive.

Girls and boys have passed him several times now, but Syaoran paid no attention. In his hand he clutched a magazine, _Teen Idol,_ and on the cover of that magazine was the beautiful and elegant princess, Sakura Kinomoto.

Kissing Joshua Koizumi.

One could not always tell a person's feelings by looking at the outside shell of them, but could always by looking at their eyes. Those miserable, tearful eyes! Awkwardly the magazine slipped out of Syaoran's hands, but the boy could care less, for all he could do right now, all he could think of right now, is to cry.

--Is, is to cry his hardest, darkest feeling out. But he can't. He's a man, he's used to getting his heart broken up… wait. Is this how it feels like? How it feels to be dumped, to be used, and yet…

To be loved?

All those good times that he and Sakura spent together, were they real? Or were they just… memories that will soon fade away? "Love hurts," Syaoran moaned sadly. He felt his heart flip inside out. For the second time in his life since when he was eight, he felt tortured. He felt that he was played by the cruel hands of Fate, by the tangled threads of Destiny, and by, by…

Oh who was he kidding? It is better to have loved than never. It is better to have _been _loved than never.

Life goes on, Syaoran, life goes on.

The poor boy started to run; he started to try to forget what he saw, and then made across the campus. He dashed on to the busy streets of Japan, ducking the honking of several impatient cars, only to find himself in a little park, one of the fewer places in Hong Kong that is unpolluted, and the only sanctuary of his heart.

Sitting on a bench with his head between his legs, and his hands covering his face and his front bangs, Syaoran grunted. He twitched uncomfortably, but soon calmed down. Things are definitely moving too fast for him. It is only January, almost 15 days since Sakura had been gone… but she's moving on so swiftly, so fast, so… cold. How _could_ she forget what they had? How _could_ she forget their 15 years of acquaintance, and most of all, how _could_ she forget him?

And their love?

Is there hope in their love? Was there ever?

Freedom is slavery.

Syaoran had just fallen into a fitful sleep when, out of his expectations, a tapping came knocking on his head. Glaring his amber eyes to the person who tapped him, his eyes bulged.

"Meiling…" Syaoran moaned sadly. "What are you doing here?"

Meiling stood motionlessly, though tears are gathering up in her eyes. There was an awkward silence, but she finally chose to speak. "Syaoran… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that I have ever done to you."

Syaoran looked away.

"Look, I know that you can't possibly forgive me, but I just want you to know, I have always loved you." Meiling confessed.

Syaoran gave no answer.

At this, Meiling dashed forward and placed her arms around Syaoran's freezing body. "Oh Syaoran! Why don't you like me?" she sobbed, hugging him around the neck, her crystal tears drowning his head.

Syaoran moved his arms, and placed them around Meiling's. Meiling chuckled softly, broke free from his touch, and then turned his face to hers.

"Syaoran, I know that all my efforts to attract you are futile. There is a primeval saying… 'If you truly love someone, set them free'. I will set you free today, but I will continue to love you, and maybe I'm an idiot for doing so, but I happen to find that idiots are the happiest people on earth." Meiling smiled, and so did Syaoran.

"I'll do anything for you Li," she grinned, then walked away.

What does snow melt into?

Spring.

That spring, hope sprung from its dead seeds, and landed on Syaoran's hands.

_If you truly love someone, set them free. If they come back, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were…_

**A.N. sorry for not updating for so longg... sophomore years been really hardd :( i'm just hanging on by the thin thread. but i hope this chappie didnt disappoint no one huh:D love you all! i guessss this is a belated merry christmas / happy new year prezzie huh? heheheh enjoy and loveee you allll! (;**

**(EDIT) OMG IM SO SORRY! I didn't look at this chappie at all and then I remembered I forgot to put the horizontal lines! Those decide what country they're in. and also, yes this is still a SK SL fic, but she "falling in love" with josh is just an illusion. She's not really "in love" with him. I guess shes just using him to forget Syaoran? Hahahah you guess!**


	18. Chapter 18: A Prized Poem

**A.N. Gosh… I've written so many chapters x) anyway, here's the next! Please enjoy yourselves! Loooooooooveeess**

**Chapter 18: A Prized Poem**

Syaoran sat in the park motionless, thinking what Meiling had said just moments before. Did she really mean what she said? Had she always loved him, and always will? He ignored the apology completely, for nothing could render the past, and nothing could ever change it.

If Meiling truly loved him, why was he blinded from the start? Why did he love Sakura so much? Is it true, that he only loved the chase, but not the capture? That he only loved her looks, but not her heart?

Syaoran shook his head. Of course not, he thought. How could he even think of this? Is this another one of Meiling's tricks to make him fall in love with her? Is it!

Meiling stood behind a tree, tears mounting up her cheeks. She had paved cement to her love for Syaoran for ever. It is merely a grave of love, a grave that shall die along with its possessor—Syaoran himself. She vowed to forget her life of love, she vowed to rid all of her childhood fantasies, all of her dreams, her hopes, her… only true love.

_I'll be your dream I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy_

_I'll be your love I'll be your hope be everything that you need_

_I love you more with every breath truly madly deeply do_

_I will be strong I will be faithful 'cus I'm counting on_

_A new beginning_

_A reason for living_

_A deeper meaning, yeahhh…_

_I want to stand with you on a mountain_

_I want to bath with you in the sea_

_I want to stand like this forever_

_Until the sky falls down on me_

"I want to stay like this forever, Sakura," Josh said while gliding his hand along her back to her waist.

"Me too," Sakura smiled, and she kissed him again.

_A single teardrop slid down Syaoran's cheek._

Spring, the season of hope… why does it feel like it's clouded with impending thunder?

Sitting in front of his desk, memories of the past streamed through Syaoran's mind. It seemed like a thousand years have passed before he ever truly understood the meaning of rejection. He couldn't believe it, he simply couldn't accept the fact that Sakura has left. He viewed, in the past 15 days, that Sakura's absence was certainly some mistaken nightmare, something that will pass when he wakes up. But unfortunately, this isn't the typical close-your-eyes-because-everything-will-be-okay situation. This type of circumstances resembles something that Syaoran may never have a chance to change. Something that… he's afraid to think, may become… _permanent_.

Syaoran sighed. There was a blank piece of paper sitting in front of his desk. Hesitating, he grabbed the nearest pen, and began writing scrapes of thoughts.

---5 days later---

"SYAORAN!" Tomoyo screamed at the top of her voice from the ground up Syaoran's apartment building, "OH MY GOSH SYAORAN!"

Annoyed and deep in thought, Syaoran turned around to the direction of the window, and walked up there in annoyance, only to see a violet-haired girl standing up facing him, waving a magazine back and forth. "What's the matter?" he asked emotionlessly, he was on the top floor, and he didn't like yelling.

"SYAORAN! Remember that poem you wrote a couple of days ago?" Tomoyo yelled again.

"Yes… you and Eriol _stole_ it and sent it to a magazine! You little…" Syaoran shook his fists vehemently, "you violated my privacy!"

Tomoyo squinted her eyes—she was about to scream in anger. Then Syaoran saw her walking through the door and tracing up the stairs. Momentarily Syaoran heard a knock.

"Sorry, people were kind of thinking I was a crazy woman or something," Tomoyo apologized humbly.

Syaoran coughed at this. "I wonder why that is."

Tomoyo decided to pretend not to hear that snide remark. "Anyway, you should be glad that we sent it to the _most popular and wide-read_ Japanese magazine!" Tomoyo cried, swaying the magazine at Syaoran's eyes. Reaching out his hand, he made a go for it, and he saw on the front page, in bold gold letters, "Boy Confesses Love to Girl", then under that it wrote, "I Am Nothing Without You." The picture engrossed on it was Syaoran's picture. Underneath it said, "The best love poem ever written—Syaoran Li".

Reading this, Syaoran's face turned from angry to ferociously overflowing with rage. "What. The. Hell."

Tomoyo chuckled, "well, Syaoran, now Sakura will read it." With that, she dashed for the door. "You're welcome," she smiled.

Sakura sat on her luxurious bed deep in thought. These first 20 days spent with Josh were surely fun, and he couldn't be any sweeter. He was _surely_ sweeter than that little brat … _Syaoran_. _However_, she thought, even though those days were fun and Josh made her feel like she was on top of the world, brimming with glory, she can't help but feel a little… empty. Sighing, she glanced at her bedstead, and on top of it was the newest issue of _Teen Idol_, the most popular teen magazine in Japan.

Grabbing it without looking at the cover, she flipped through the pages mindlessly. When she came to page 18, her hand stopped suddenly, her jaws dropped abruptly, and her eyes began reading faster than ever.

_**The Boy Who Lost His Girl**_

_By Anazaki Kumuri_

_Exploring the campus of the University of Hong Kong, one could not help but stare at one particular boy with extraordinary good looks, great charm, and charismatic personality. Once living in a playboy mansion full of girls that would die for him, the "playah" has now retired to a life of tranquility under an old oak tree. It is now the sight of this playground of love, a tangling thread that has trapped the most mischievous boy ever lived._

_When the famous rebirth of Princess Sakura Kinomoto first sprang to life, which along has brought her to her home country, this boy has ever since been down with heavy tears. One student reported that he had spot this boy, Syaoran Li, clutching our last issue of _Teen Idol_, which featured the famed kiss between Sakura and Josh Koizumi, the Prime Minister's son, kissing. Upon being burdened with this news, it was also reported that Syaoran threw the magazine on the ground viciously and then ran out of campus, skipping four of his college classes._

_The love story between Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li is quite a mystery waiting to uncover. Due to some deep grudges and misunderstandings of each other, Sakura pledged to leave Hong Kong, away from her lover forever. Upon finding a new life to live, and a new love to own, the princess has forgotten about her old lover, who is clearly deeply in love with her, probably for the first time in his life, and who is heartbroken. _

_This is the story of a boy who met a girl and fell in love._

_**Incomplete**_

_Syaoran Li, Spring of 20xx_

_Empty spaces, fill me up with holes_

_Distant faces, with no place left to go_

_Without you, within me_

_I can't find no rest_

_Where I'm going_

_Is anybody's guess_

_I tried to go on like I never knew you_

_I'm awake, but my world is half asleep_

_I pray, for this heart to be unbroken_

_For without you all I'm going to be is—_

_Incomplete._

_Voices, tell me, I should carry on_

_I am swimming, in an ocean all alone_

_Baby, oh baby_

_It's written on your face_

_You still wonder_

_If we made a big mistake_

_I tried to go on like I never knew you _

_I'm awake, but my world is half asleep_

_I pray, for this heart to be unbroken_

_For without you all I'm going to be is—_

_Incomplete._

_I don't wanna drag it on_

_I don't wanna let you go_

_I don't wanna make you face this world alone_

_I tried to go on like I never knew you _

_I'm awake, but my world is half asleep_

_I pray, for this heart to be unbroken_

_For without you all I'm going to be is—_

_Incomplete._

(A.N. this song belongs to Backstreet Boys actually :P too lazy to write a poem, hahah. I'm not a good poem-writer anyways D)

Sakura read on. With each word absorbed was another dagger in her heart. Maybe Syaoran hadn't been lying all along. Maybe he was telling the truth… _maybe..._ she shouldn't have moved on so fast. Was this piece of news real? Or… Was it just some piece of _crap_ the media made to gain money?

Immersed in conflict, Sakura managed to hear a quickened knock from the door. A maid came in, "Your highness, one of your classmates has come to see you."

Sakura raised her eyebrows, "but… but I haven't started school yet!"

The maid laughed gently, "No, your highness, one of your classmates from Hong Kong came to visit you!"

Sakura scratched her head, and slipped into her slippers. Walking out the door, Sakura almost fell down from absolute shock.

Tomoyo hadn't came early… It was… it was… _Meiling_.

Meiling smiled, "Good evening, your highness." Bowing, the maid left to attend to the rest of the palace.

Meiling glanced at Sakura, who was in a very deep state of horror. _What is _she_ doing here? Stealing Josh away?_

"Sakura, I know what you're thinking. But I'm going to make this quick, because I don't want to ever see you again. For the sake of your happiness though, I need to confess. Syaoran never loved me, he was always in love with you."

Hands dropped.

_In love with you…_

_In love with you…_

_In love…_

_……With you._

"Please, don't break his heart… I beg you Sakura, I beg you. His love is true. Don't make him sad… I can't watch him break…"

**A.N. OK, I'm sorry that like, this chapter is short. This is because I wrote this way back… THEN. I have no idea when I wrote it, even. But the next chapter is (hopefully) going to be longer. I mean, more than this of course. I'm trying to start a new system and have each other reaching at least 3000 words. But that's hard to do, because I probably will need to split writing into 3 days instead of my usual 1-2 hours. Gahh. I need to practice my writing skills!**

**Anyway, pop a review! And thank you for the people who added this story to your favorite story list/story alert and thank you for all those people, also, who added me to their favorite authors list! I'm so happy for your support!**


	19. Chapter 19: An Imperfect Perfection

**A.N. whoo. Long time no update. Well, as promised, this chapter's going to be really long. As will the next chapters and the chapters from my other stories. Hehehehe… enjoyyyy:)**

**Chapter 19: An Imperfect Perfection**

"Sakura… he was always in love with you…"

_He was always in love with you…_

The words hung in the room like a ghost preying silence. Sakura's mind froze, her eyes straying toward the floor. All in a second she felt overwhelmed with feeling, as if something reached into her body, grabbed her heart, and tore it into pieces right in front of her eyes.

Maybe all this time, she was fooled by her own insecurity. Maybe all this time, she was drowned in her sea of loneliness. Maybe all this time, their love had survived through the hardest ordeals in the sea, and had finally made it to land.

Maybe all this time, she was still…

_In love with him._

Meiling left the room silently with Sakura still rendering her thoughts in her mind. "He loves me… He has always loved me…"

Why didn't she realize it before? Why didn't she realize all the things he did to her, said to her?

"Maybe it wasn't meant to be," she said to herself, "maybe… Syaoran and I are destined to be apart."

She realized. It's too late to begin a flame that's already burnt to its end.

* * *

**Seems like just yesterday  
****You were a part of me  
I used to stand so tall  
I used to be so strong  
Your arms around me tight  
Everything, it felt so right  
Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong  
Now I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hanging on

* * *

**

Sakura flounced into the bar in her new pink dress with white roses trimming along its side. She greeted the bartender warmly, and ordered a long island ice tea. "I'm going to get drunk tonight," she smiled.

"Why, is there something wrong?" Michael, the bartender, asked.

Sakura shook her head. In fact, something was bothering her. Tomoyo was supposed to meet her in the Japanese palace tonight, but somehow, she hasn't shown up yet. And she was due 5 hours ago.

"How's everything with Josh?"

Sakura chuckled. She was getting a little drunk already. "Oh, the usual. He's sensitive, he's sweet, he's charming…he's perfect!"

"That's good to hear."

Sakura nodded. "…Yeah." She wondered, why, in that sudden moment that she mentioned the word 'perfect', Syaoran's face forced through her mind, and appeared like a ghost in front of her sad eyes.

"I'm supposed to meet Josh here," she added, stirring her drink with a straw.

"Oh really? I saw him about ten minutes ago. I think he was looking for you." Michael informed.

Sakura raised her eyebrows in surprise. _He's always late._ "Where?"

"Here!"

"Oh." Sakura acknowledged, and stirred her drink again. "I guess I'll just wait for him here or something. I don't feel like moving anywhere."

Michael nodded sympathetically. "Are you alright? You seem kind of…distracted."

Sakura looked up. She forced a smile. "Distracted? Why would you say that?"

"I don't know…you just look…you know, spacey."

"Spacey?" Sakura laughed out loud. "You have no idea…" she trailed off. By the tone of her voice, Michael suspected something was wrong. "You know, Michael. I have nobody to talk to these days. A girl gets so lonely sometimes."

Michael nodded in sympathy while he scrubbed a glass with a clean napkin. "Josh is so perfect, you know? He does everything I ask him to do." She said sweetly. "He sweeps me off my feet all the time, he dances with me like he's never danced before, he's so cute and adorable in front of me… I mean, he's _everything _I look for in a boyfriend, possibly a soul mate."

Michael sneered. "Looks like you've found _the_ one."

"Yup." Sakura smiled sheepishly. "Yes I have." At this second she felt a sting in her heart.

She heard a rustle next to her, and found the man next to her had just got up to leave. She stared at his chestnut hair.

Then she smiled, and turned her attention back to Michael.

"What is it?" Michael asked.

"That guy…that was just sitting here. He reminds me of someone I know." She said casually, without encouraging a question.

"It _is_ someone you know." Michael smiled slyly.

"…What? What are you talking about?" She smiled nervously. Surely it couldn't be…

"That was Syaoran. He was looking for you. I guess you didn't see him when he came in." Michael answered.

Sakura put a hand over her mouth. "Excuse me?"

"That was Syaoran Li." He smiled.

She had a look of panic on her delicate face. "Go after him."

* * *

**Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes

* * *

**

Sakura gasped in disbelief. She stared at Michael for a second, studying his face. Then she decided it wasn't worth the wait. She got out of her chair and ran towards the exit. She looked frantically around the crowded door looking for a chestnut-haired boy, no, _man, _on the sidewalk. Squeezing between busy people on the street, she found a lone silhouette sitting on the front steps of a small grocery store.

He had chestnut hair. And amber eyes. _Oh, those beautiful amber eyes._

"Sy…Syaoran?" Sakura whispered, leaning down so she could see the boy's face. Syaoran's eyes flickered up, annoyance hinting his brilliant amber.

"Yes? What do _you_ want?"

"SYAORAN! It's you!" Sakura screamed happily. She leaned down to hug him, but he shoved her arms away. He stood up abruptly, and started walking away from her.

Sakura looked at him in confusion, and decided to walk in front of him. He still refused to look at her. "Syaoran? Syaoran are you okay?"

He ignored her, his eyes focused on the road ahead. He began to walk faster now, his footsteps pacing a rapid rhythm, one which she had realized that she missed. Syaoran walked straight into a stray alley and stood facing the dirty wall.

Sakura felt an uncomfortable silence lurking between them. She suddenly felt guilty about the things she had said, had done, to him, although she wasn't sure what.

"Sakura." He finally decided to speak.

Sakura smiled, although he couldn't see under the night. She felt a frisson running through her cold body, but was too scared to analyze this feeling.

"Syaoran." She spoke too. "How nice to see you after all this time!" she greeted warmly, her hand reaching for his shoulder. He shuddered, and she put her hand at her side again.

Syaoran sighed. "It's very nice to see you too. After all this time."

Sakura nodded. She didn't know what to say.

Another silence took hold of their breaths. An awkward, yet peaceful one. Sakura twitched uncomfortably at his side, and looked hard down at the rain-sodden ground. It had been raining earlier this evening, nature's deep puddles engraved in the dark, muddy alley.

"Is it really 'after all this time'?" Syaoran finally decided to ask.

Sakura stared up at him. He still refused to look at her. "What do you mean?"

Syaoran sighed. He stared at the wall in front of him, studying its rotting structure. "I mean, is one month really what it took you to fall in love with that guy?" His voice was hoarse.

Sakura was too scared to look at him. There was an evil hidden somewhere on his face, one which he had not shown since the day she had left. Even then, it had been tender and fragile. But now, now it was a man's, she was sure of that. Not a boy's. but a man's honest and truthful face.

"W-What?" Sakura asked, although she knew exactly what he had meant. She had often pondered this herself. Can you fall in love in one month, dragging love's wounds?

"You heard me." Syaoran stabbed his fists onto the wall, making an ugly sound. "Is _one_ fucking goddamned month really what it took for you to fall in love?" he stared intently at the wall, killing it with his eyes, obviously angry by her subtle and innocent reply.

Sakura remained quiet. "Huh? Is that it? Just _one fucking month_?" his turned his face, and his eyes concentrated on her, and her only. Sakura felt an invisible force choking her.

"S-Syaoran—"

He stared forcefully in her emerald eyes, admonishing her with his looks. "Don't you 'Syaoran' me, Kinomoto," his full attention was on her now, his orbs criticizing her every stroke of hair, her every movement. His hands bled from the wound he made punching the wall, but the amber-eyed man seemed not to notice. "What are you up to, exactly? Miss Cherry Kura?"

Sakura felt trapped. What does he mean what is she up to? She suspected something ugly was shoving through his throat.

Syaoran gave a sarcastic smirk. "What exactly had been your motive in making me fucking fall in love with you all over again, and then deciding to flee to Koizumi instead?"

"Is it because I'm not good enough for you? I'm not perfect enough for you?" He continued cruelly, his smirk merging with his features.

Sakura wilted back, leaning herself against the wall. She had never seen how disgusting he was, but maybe, she had been that disgusting toward him as well. His body blocked her from the night, his eyes sucking her breath.

"First you tell me that you're not Sakura Kinomoto, so I fell in love with Cherry Kura. Then you tell me that Cherry had been a dream, a nightmare, an illusion," Syaoran stared hard at her. "Then you tell me to forget about what happened. You became Sakura Kinomoto again."

"I tell you that I'll never give up on you, and you push me away." He leaned his face so close to her that his nose brushed briefly against hers. She could smell his breath of whiskey.

"S-Syaoran, don't."

"Don't WHAT?" he yelled, anger brooding in his brain, backing away from her. Her simple innocent replies have been eating his insides the whole time that they had been talking. Can't she at least understand instead of trying to hide behind her fake masquerade?

"Don't what? Don't get close to you? Don't interfere with your _royal_ life? Don't touch you?" He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, pushing her back against the wall with so much force that it hurt even to move.

She looked away. "Don't do this to me." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Ha." Syaoran found himself laughing. How ridiculous. The girl whispers!

"So now you feel guilty, don't you?" He chuckled sarcastically. "Is that why you keep trying to push me away?"

"Don't do this to me." Sakura repeated, shaking her head lightly.

"Don't do what to you? Don't suffocate you? Don't put pressure on you?" He shouted. Then, he ran his hand through his hair.

"You know what?" Syaoran began again, "I came down here today to tell you that Meiling was tricking us all along. I came down here today to ask you, to _beg_ you if you will, to come back with me, to stay with me. And what? What do I come to hear?" Syaoran's eyes glinted a spear of hatred. "'Josh is so perfect. He's everything I look for in a man. He's the one. He's my soul mate.'" His arms grew stronger, and she felt the soft sound of her bones crushing, just a little bit.

He lowered his gaze so it was leveled with hers. He whispered, so low that she had trouble hearing him.

"I wait. And wait for you for ten years, until one day you bring all hopes back to me again."

"You saved me, Cherry Kura. You saved me from my _**own** fucking misery_." Sakura felt tear buds forming in her eyes. She felt like crying, and yet she didn't know why.

"You meant so much to me." He said, softly brushing her cheeks with his fingers.

"But you think that you can just waltz in Japan with your newfound glory and your name-brand clothes to fall in love with a perfect man? You think that I would ever, _ever_ forgive you if you fell in love with him?" Syaoran laughed, his fingers dropped on her shoulder, so hard that she felt her body wince from his touch.

"Syaoran." Sakura pushed her hands at his chest, but this only made him press himself closer to her.

"I tell you now. I would _never_ forgive you." He breathed.

Sakura fought to hold back her tears. She saw from his dangerous tone that he meant it, that he was absolutely serious. "But maybe you're not seeking for my forgiveness. Maybe you just want this pathetic, _imperfect _man to get out of your life right now, so you could jump back into lovely Mr. Koizumi's arms and dance with him under the moonlight."

Sakura shook her head violently. "No, that's not it."

Syaoran ignored her. "Sakura, I waited my entire life for someone like you. If you can fall in love with one guy in a month, I don't know how many guys you'll fall in love with in your lifetime."

Sakura felt the urge to defend herself. But before she could say anything, Syaoran spoke softly again, treating her like his plaything. For the first time in her life, and she silently hoped, the last time, she felt objectified.

"I'm sick and tired of waiting for you to come to me."

Sakura stared at him in pain. "It's not what you think."

Syaoran pushed her harder. The friction between her back and the wall made a soft, quick sound. "Well, then what the fuck is it!"

When she didn't answer, it only maddened him. He realized what a jerk he has been in the last few minutes, but he couldn't stop himself from hating her. "What the HELL is wrong with me? Why can't you love me?"

Silence.

"Why _won't _you love me? You can love Josh can't you? Why the FUCK can't you love _me_!" He let out a frustrated groan, then loosened his grip and buried his face in his hands. He recollected himself while Sakura studied him frightfully.

"What is it about Josh," he whispered, and then he placed his hands on her chin and lifted it up so she could look straight into his broken eyes, "that makes him so special?" He continued in the soft tone he gave, voice barely above a whisper, voice failing miserably to mask his pain and misery.

"Don't you know how I feel about you?" Syaoran groaned. Sakura looked down in the darkness. Syaoran bent down so he looked straight at her ocean-eyes. "I love you _so fucking much_ you idiot." Sakura felt his hand on her cheeks, and felt herself sucked into his lips, of violent, forceful kisses. She silently cried to herself, cursing herself for her own stupidity.

She knew. She knew how much he had loved her. Of course she knew. How could she not?

He put his arms around her neck, bringing her face closer to his. Slowly, her arms began to climb up his back, and wrapped themselves around his broad shoulders.

Syaoran felt some feeling after he shocked her. He realized that she began to kiss him back, as if she was waiting all her life for him to kiss her like this. His heart was a mixture of joy, hatred, love, compassion, sympathy, and he couldn't decide whether this kiss meant she loved him or that she simply felt sorry for him. He gently pulled her face away from his. The couple stood under a soft ray of moonlight shining askance at them. Syaoran studied Sakura's face for a while. She was still as he remembered, with his touch written all over it. She looked at him in anticipation. Just when she pulled his face to hers again, he broke away from her touch, and walked away. Sakura stood alone under the dark shade of the night, thankful for its color, so that it would hide what was on her face.

Love.

* * *

**I told you everything  
Opened up and let you in  
You made me feel alright  
For once in my life  
Now all that's left of me  
Is what I pretend to be  
So together, but so broken up inside  
'Cause I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hangin' on

* * *

**

The picture was thrown in a bucket along with several other things. A young man slowly lighted up a match, and when it came to life, threw it down the bucket. His eyes emitted sadness while he watched the things he used to love disappear.

"Good bye, Sakura," Syaoran whispered, opened the door and locked it behind him.

* * *

**Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes **

Swallow me then spit me out  
For hating you, I blame myself  
Seeing you it kills me now  
No, I don't cry on the outside  
Anymore...

* * *

Sakura buried herself in her bed and cried. She felt the sheets wet with tears and still she couldn't stop crying. It had already been days since that kiss, and she still could not forget his masked pain, her failing miserably to tell him how she had felt. Tomoyo sat by her side although Sakura would rather be alone.

"I wish I had told him how I felt." Sakura whispered.

Tomoyo nodded. She hesitated for a second. Sakura looked at her best friend's face, and rolled her eyes. "Alright, what else do you want to ask me?"

Tomoyo smiled nervously. "Well…I was wondering how you felt about Josh Koizumi?"

Sakura sunk back in her bed, thinking. It took her a while to analyze her feelings before she could decide. "You know what I've been looking for after Syaoran and I broke apart?"

Tomoyo shook her head.

"The feeling of first love." She whispered. "The feeling of anticipation, of happiness, of complete devotion to each other."

Tomoyo smiled sympathetically.

"Love isn't perfect. Love's got to have its twists and turns before something real comes out. If love was perfect, I think I'd tire of it easily." Sakura said, reassuring herself.

"Do you love Josh?"

Sakura shook her head almost too quickly. "No," she chuckled, amused by the audacity of her best friend, "I don't love him. He's too perfect anyway. He would make a good boyfriend though." For the first time in days she smiled.

_You have the smile that would light up a room._

_Shit._ Why did she have to remember that?

"Tomoyo?" Sakura asked. "Do you still think Syaoran loves me?"

"Of course. He'll never stop."

"I think I might have gone too far. He said he's tired of waiting for me." Sakura pouted. She felt like a little child.

"No, no, you can never be tired of the person you love. After all, love's imperfect, isn't it?" Tomoyo smiled kindly. "Don't give up. There's plenty of hope yet."

Sakura took the advice to heart. There's plenty of hope yet.

"After all, isn't an imperfection perfection what you're seeking?"

* * *

**Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes **

Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes

* * *

The pictures burnt to ashes until there are no ashes left.

**A/N: how did you guys like this chapter? This will be the second to last chapter. Next chapter will finally complete _Cherished in My Heart_. I wrote this chapter after watching too many corny romantic movies, but I still haven't quite gotten the dialogue right. Although I think this is the best chapter so far, y'all should comment toooo! (and those of you out there who don't review, you all know what I'm talking bout wink wink)**

**Hehehehhe please read my other stories tooooo!**


	20. Chapter 20: A Goodbye

**A/N: this is a loooong chapterr. aiii i'm too lazy to proof read it so i'm really sorry for any mistakes:(**

**Chapter 20: A Goodbye**

A chestnut-haired boy sat on his couch, thousands of thoughts running through his mind like rain. His face was concentrated, his amber eyes focused and emotionless, although a frown on his face suggested that whatever he was thinking was probably unpleasant.

He walked toward the kitchen, feeling thirsty. The thoughts on his mind were so disturbing that he felt his head slightly ache. "Shit…" he mumbled as he stumbled toward the kitchen. The pain was getting sharper, and within seconds he felt multiple blows to his head as if someone is smacking him over and over again with a hammer cruelly. He pressed his arm against the wall to support himself away from the pain as he put his hand on his forehead, telling himself it will stop, that it's just stupid thoughts.

He told himself that everything will be okay. But it was _not _okay. The pain was getting more unbearable as his head felt like a volcano, with fire that would burst open as soon it gets hot enough.

"What's wrong with me?" he murmured. Syaoran buried his head in his arms, his eyes fluttering violently. He felt blood rush toward his eyeballs, blood dancing like piercing daggers, and then…nothing.

**

* * *

**

I woke up today  
Woke up wide awake  
In an empty bed  
Staring at an empty room  
I have myself to blame  
For the state I'm in today  
And now dying  
Doesn't seem so cruel  
And oh, I don't know what to say  
And I don't know anyway  
Anymore

* * *

Sakura lazily got up from bed. She looked at the calendar. Today is the 15th. One month after she had last seen Syaoran. She looked sadly at her feet.

_Why did I wake up?_ She thought bitterly. She was having such a wonderful dream. She has running through the meadows with a yellow bonnet on her head and a pink ribbon in her hair, laughing and screaming at the same time, her smile never leaving her unforgettable face. Tomoyo was there along with Eriol, and they were having a wild picnic in a field of endless yellow daisies. Syaoran was there too, and he looked at her with such loving eyes that she wanted to break down and cry at how happy she was.

_Silly dream, _she told herself sadly. Then she averted her eyes away from the mirror that she was studying herself at, her emeralds drowning in the pool of Misery. She felt so horrible for saying all those nice things about Josh. How could have she been so blind? How could have she _not_ know that for all this time, something in her was missing, and that something had been filled only by Syaoran?

_I deserve this. _Sakura thought. _I deserve to be miserable for ever. _

Sakura has been thinking about this whole affair for a while now, ever since their last encounter. She knew that deep in her heart only one person has ever stolen her heart, but the masked pain and the thin skin of herself enabled her to be so vulnerable to it. Ever since she had gotten her memory back she realized how all those years ago, Syaoran and her were made _together_. Like two peas in a pod. They were made _for each other_, so that one day they will find each other, and the apple halves will be joined as one.

She didn't fall in love with Josh. She did so to make Syaoran suffer, for all the pain that he's caused her. She's sick and tired of being the happy-go-lucky and smile-never-cry kind of girl. She's sick of being so strong and so adamant on the outside, but so _fucking_ alone on the inside. Josh was her revenge, her "Meiling" on Syaoran…her own weapon. But what she had not realized is that, once the weapon penetrates through his heart, his love for her would die as well…

Like so many other loves have died…

Did she honestly think that their love will prevail through the most violent storms? Well, maybe at the beginning…but she didn't know for sure now. No ma'am.

She kept seeing his face and hearing his voice in her mind. How scary he looked that night, how…possessive and violent he sounded. She had never seen that side before. He told her that he's sick of her games. He asked her why she can't fall in love with him. He insulted her by saying how easily she could love another.

He didn't, no, _wouldn't_, even give her a chance to reply.

Not that she wanted to anyway, knowing that everything coming from her mouth would be a lie.

…He was so monstrous, yet so endearing. He's a paradox to human existence, Sakura thought. He fell in love with Sakura Kinomoto, yet ran his hands through so many other girls in order to create a false illusion of himself…

When he made her look into his eyes she could see fear in them. Fear so strong that he didn't bother to hide it. He was scared. Just like her. Neither of them is strong. Deep inside their heart there is only an empty void, waiting to be fulfilled by each other.

And what had she given him? None other than the heartbreaking news that Josh Koizumi is a perfect human being.

She couldn't but blame herself. She can't even bear to blame him, although he had pushed her against a wall and forced her to kiss him. No, she can't. It's all her fault. She kept misunderstanding his intentions; she kept misunderstanding his motives and his feelings. She felt cruel, playing him like that, even doing it inadvertently. She felt…longing. Longing for him.

She lingered for those soft lips that try so hard to make her happy.

Sakura looked at herself again in the mirror. Her reflection had been sadder than she had thought. Being a princess isn't all that at all. Being a princess, having all the money and fun in the world doesn't make her happy.

No, no, it doesn't at all.

Now she had finally understood that axiom "Money can't buy everything". If it could, she would use all of her money just to get Syaoran's forgiveness. She would suffer on the streets and eat dirt if she had to, just to feel his warm lips again.

"I'm obsessed with him." She muttered under her breath, still studying her reflection in the mirror. The girl on the other side had the same long auburn hair as her, the same pale and delicate face, the same rosy cheeks… but her eyes, Sakura noticed, her emerald eyes would radiate nothing but sadness… her stubborn eyes. She shaded them her hands. She didn't want to look at them anymore. They only made her feel ashamed.

**

* * *

**

I hate myself for losing you  
I'm seeing it all so clear  
I hate myself for losing you  
What do you do when you look in the mirror  
And staring at you is why he's not here?

* * *

"Syaoran! Open the door!" Eriol banged for the tenth time. "I know you're in there! Open the goddamn door! I can hear your TV blaring!"

Tomoyo stood next to Eriol, worry written all over her face. She tugged Eriol. "Are you sure he didn't go out or something?"

Eriol glanced sideways. "He never leaves his TV open when he goes out. He's in there. I know it."

"OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR LI SYAORAN!" Eriol screamed, this time kicking it so hard that Tomoyo jumped back at the sudden shake on the ground.

No response came from within. Eriol was getting worried too. Syaoran hadn't been himself lately ever since he came back to Hong Kong. His eyes were always avoiding Eriol's, as if he's afraid that if he had looked in Eriol's eyes, Eriol would see how fragile and how wretched Syaoran had been.

"Tomoyo, stay here." Eriol commanded, and rushed down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Tomoyo yelled after, quickly running after him. "No, stay there Tomoyo. I'm going to go to the manager's office and ask for a pair of keys."

Tomoyo nodded and walked back to Syaoran's door. "Something's not right…" she muttered to herself, and sank herself down and cradled her head on the door frame. She closed her tired eyes, silently praying that everything will be okay.

**

* * *

**

Now I dread each day  
Knowing that I can't be saved  
From the loneliness  
Of living without you  
And, oh  
I don't know what to do  
Not sure that I'll pull through  
I wish you knew

* * *

"Where are you going, Sakura?" A blond-haired man asked, his face worried. Sakura had two huge luggage bags on her bed, and she was packing a third one.

"I'm going back to Hong Kong for a while." She said simply, her voice plain. She didn't want him to detect anything wrong.

Josh looked apprehensive. He came around the bed and stared at her luggage. "…Are you going to see Syaoran?"

Sakura paused in the middle of packing her favorite pink dress in. She slowly looked back at him, "How did you know?"

"Michael. Bartender."

Sakura growled. Why can't they respect her fucking privacy? For a moment she packed in silence while he stood and watched her.

"Are you coming back?"

Sakura continued packing. She didn't answer him. No, she couldn't. She wasn't even sure if she is or not. Nothing in Japan interested her anyways. The most cherished person in her life wasn't there.

He seemed to understand. "…What about me?" he whispered.

"What do you mean?"

Josh groaned. Was she seriously that dumb? "What about…our thing…?"

"Oh… that." Sakura whispered. What should she say? She can't just hurt him and tell him to get over her and go on to the next girl. Although she's pretty sure that he will just by his looks. "I'm going back to Hong Kong." She repeated.

He took her hand in his. She looked at his hand, and then looked at him. "What are you doing?"

"Stay with me."

"What?" Sakura's eyes widened, her heart thumping loudly against her chest. His hand was already on her small back and his lips were protruding her way.

"What the hell are you doing!" Sakura shouted, trying to push him away. "Get the hell away from me!" She screamed as he pushed her hard on the bed and silenced her with kisses. Her eyes widened in fear. His body was above her, his lips violently biting hers. She smelled blood, although she wasn't sure whether it was from his lips or hers. He claimed her lips with forceful and possessive kisses as she tried to dodge them. They weren't warm or gentle or sweet like Syaoran's. Josh's lips were angry, obsessed, and mean.

She felt her heart thumping faster now, her arms locked under his strong hands. She tried to kick him from below. But he moved out of the way just in time. She screamed. Tears trickled down her eyes like rain as she felt her shirt rip, then her bra strap rip. He smirked at her, his face full of cruel intentions.

Sakura shook her head around so that he couldn't find her lips. He immediately let go of her arms and seized her neck, planting kisses on her cheeks, her eyelids, her ears, her neck bone.

She was horrified. More tears started forcing through her eyes as she found herself sobbing hard. She was damn scared. She had never felt so weak in her life. She had tried to break free from his forces, but she had never once succeeded. He pressed himself upon her so hard that whatever she did was useless.

His hands are on her necks, choking her as he continued to kiss her. His lips forced her to open her mouth, and she felt his greedy tongue inside her as she involuntarily swallowed his saliva. She glanced at both her sides. Through blurry vision she saw a clock lying on the bed, and it was just within her reach. It was now or never, she told herself. Quickly with one hand she slammed the clock in the blond man's head, so hard that she thought she heard his bones crack.

Josh screamed. "BITCH!" he cursed as he saw Sakura kicking him in his soft spot and pushed him off of her. Scrambling quickly toward the door she left her shoes resting neatly against her bed, her luggage still scattered.

She ran all the way toward the front of the grand palace. She couldn't stop herself from crying. All he did was take advantage of her. All this time. She thought he was perfect! What an IDIOT had she been, sucking in all his meaningless charms?

She stopped by a wall and started sobbing like she never had before. Her lips were burning with pain and her ripped shirt and ripped bra strap left her right shoulder bare. Her hands covered her eyes as she felt more tears trickling down her face. She couldn't stop herself. Why had she been blinded all this time? She cursed at herself.

"Syaoran…" she whispered, more regretful now than ever. "I need you here with me…" and with that, she broke down.

**

* * *

**

I hate myself for losing you  
I'm seeing it all so clear  
I hate myself for losing you  
What do you do when you look in the mirror  
And staring at you is why he's not here?

* * *

Eriol and Tomoyo quickly scrambled into the apartment with the key from the manager. There, on the cold kitchen floor they found Syaoran lying there lifelessly, unconscious.

"Syaoran!" Tomoyo said, surprised. She ran over to his body and embraced his face. "Syaoran…"

"Oh…my…god." Eriol said as he kneeled next to Syaoran, his face expressionless. Then he pulled Tomoyo's head to his chest and cradled it. "Tomoyo, we have to call 9-1-1…"

**

* * *

**

I hate myself for losing you  
And oh, I don't know what to do  
Not sure that I'll pull through  
I wish you knew  
And oh, I don't know what to say  
And I don't know anyway  
Anymore  
No, no

* * *

A young woman knocked on the cream-colored door. She knocked carefully for three times, but not before thinking about leaving without a trace. She had had an internal battle with herself about whether or not to come here. She waited nervously, her heart bumping rapidly against her chest, steady and quick as a drum roll.

She glanced around. The apartment complex was quite ancient, its faded sea green wallpapers barely visible. She cleared her throat anxiously. When the person that she had expected had not shown up yet, she debated herself.

_No, I've got to leave. Why am I even here?_ She thought bitterly. _It's not like he's going to forgive me and then take me back like nothing's ever happened._

She decided to turn around. She reached the stairs, descending slowly down. She was half way down the first flight of stairs when the door cracked open. A confused man emerged from inside, but upon seeing her his face tightened. "…Sakura?"

Sakura turned around, quite surprised. She met his eyes and smiled, embarrassed. She walked slowly back up the stairs again, her hand touching the hand bar. "Oh, hi Syaoran." She smiled weakly, not sure whether she should smile or not. After all, their last encounter was nothing smile-like.

"What-What are you doing here?" Syaoran stuttered, his face leaning against the door. Sakura thought he looked paler, paler than before, that is, and…weaker?

Sakura stood in front of him now, her face facing his. "I'm here to see you." She said again, peering curiously inside. She had never seen Syaoran's apartment before. "May I come in?" she asked politely, knowing that even if he denied her, she would understand.

Syaoran paused at the door for a moment and looked sideways for a while before nodding. He stepped back and opened the door more. He gestured with one hand for her to come in. Sakura followed, taking her shoes off at the front.

"It's a nice apartment," Sakura commented. Syaoran ignored her, and disappeared into the kitchen by himself. Sakura's face saddened, but she perfectly understood why he had been so cold to her since the moment he saw her. She walked silently into the living room and studied it carefully. The wallpaper was a pearly white color with violet daisies on them, and it was spacious and beautiful. It truly is a nice apartment. In the middle of the living room was a red cotton-sheet couch with white pillows on it. It was extremely neat for a guy's taste. Sakura giggled at the thought. Syaoran must be a neat-freak to keep his place so glittery and clean.

"Would you like something to drink?" Syaoran offered, his face still showing no emotion—which discouraged Sakura.

"No, I'm fine." Sakura smiled.

"You sure?" he asked again, just to be polite.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Make yourself comfortable." Syaoran pointed at the couch. Sakura sat down amongst the white pillows, feeling its comfort relaxing her. For just a second she felt completely worry-free.

Syaoran sat down in a chair opposite of her with a soda in his hand. He opened it and started devouring it like he hasn't drunk in days. Sakura gulped, unsure of what to say.

"So…how are you?" Sakura asked. It's just a conversation starter, nothing special.

"Good." He replied simply, not giving her any sign to move on. She gulped again, determined to make him talk.

"Oh, that's great." She smiled happily. She suddenly noticed the tiny tube Syaoran had in his hand. Syaoran saw her glance at it and quickly hid it behind his back. Sakura turned her gaze away from it, pretending that she saw no such thing.

Moment of truth.

"Syaoran… I-I came to say I'm sorry." She said awkwardly.

Syaoran snorted. "You and one hundred other people."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. That was a rude comment. She'll let it go. "All those things that you said that night…they were so true."

Syaoran ignored her, taking a sip of his soda again. "I can't afford to spend the rest of my life imagining what could have been between us."

Syaoran wiped his mouth with his sleeve, straightened up and listened. "I never loved Josh, Syaoran. He was just trying to take advantage of me."

"Uh-huh."

"He-he tried to force me to kiss him when I said I was coming for you." Syaoran raised his eyebrows. His involuntarily crushed his soda can a little bit. "That bastard." He muttered under his breath, but Sakura didn't hear that.

"He-he…I think he tried to…" Sakura broke off, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She couldn't go on.

Syaoran nodded. He was already thinking of ways to murder Josh Koizumi. Prime minister's son, his ass.

"My point is," Sakura summed up her strength, "I've never left you, Syaoran. My heart was always with yours, ever since when we were eight."

"Oh yeah?" Syaoran was finding it hard to believe that.

"I remembered something disturbing…What you told me about how I didn't repay your love was so untrue." Sakura looked down at her feet. "Syaoran, I loved you so goddamn much."

Syaoran paused, his eyes glowing intently at hers for a moment.

"My father told me that you could never be the one for me. I was supposed to marry someone rich and powerful when I grew up, and to never follow my own heart. He made me promise, that bastard made me promise, to never feel the same way you did for me." Sakura felt something in her eyes. Hot tears were starting to roll very slowly down her cheeks. She didn't know why she was getting so emotional all of a sudden. It's barely been five minutes.

"And when I first saw you and began to know you, I fell in love with you again." She grinned, wiping away her tear. "I was so affected by Meiling that I decided to use Josh as an emotional leverage against you."

"Women." She heard Syaoran mutter.

Sakura gave Syaoran a confident smile. "I've missed you…" Syaoran grunted.

She smiled again, sadly. "Same two people: you and me. Same two people that fell in love twice." Sakura stopped here and walked towards Syaoran. She kneeled next to his chair and let her head fall into his laps. "Tell me it's destiny."

Syaoran stared ahead. He felt soothing warmth on his lap and raised his hand to stroke her hair. It was soft and long, and it smelt of a lovely perfume that reminded him of cherry blossoms. "It's destiny." he breathed.

He felt a curve forming against his leg. She was smiling. "I love you, Syaoran." She whispered softly. From up there he could see her eyes glow with happiness and her cheeks slightly red.

He refused to answer her, but only stared afar. The truth is he can't forgive her. He can't forgive her for what she had done, he can't forgive her for how she manipulated him. And yet…he wanted to so much. He wanted to embrace her lips and hold her in his arms, but he can't. He wouldn't allow himself to. The scar was already cut too deep.

He held her face in his hands and allowed her to look up at him. Sakura was smiling, a soft and radiant smile that only made what he had to do only harder. No, there was another reason why she can't be with him. One that was inevitable, one that pained him so much that he hated fate for allowing her to torture him…with sweet love.

Syaoran leaned down and pressed his lips gently against her forehead. Then he pulled her face away from his and whispered, so that only she can hear, "I'm sorry."

Sakura looked back at him. For a moment happiness still decorated her face, but the next second it had gone, making Syaoran wonder if it had really been there. She looked surprised, so delicate and pretty with the soft tone of the light blending beautifully with her egg-shaped face.

It was for the best, he decided. There's no way that they can be together.

No way.

He stood up, leaving her still kneeling, stunned. He walked toward the bedroom, every step a painful move. He loves her. Yet they can't be together.

God, he loves her so _fucking_ much. "I'm sorry, Sakura…" he told her one last time before he locked the door. Sakura remained kneeling on the floor, speechless. Then, without her consent, tears began to trickle down her eyes.

She blinked. More tears. "Syaoran…" she murmured, finally getting up. She walked slowly to the door, turned the door knob, and stepped outside. Then she closed the door behind her and dropped herself against the doorframe, sobbing silently, her tears drowning her blanched face.

"I love you…" she cried helplessly. "I love you so much, Syaoran."

Inside the apartment there was a thump.

…Syaoran lay unconscious on the floor, his hand clutching the bracelet.

_S.L + S. K._

_Forever…_

_I hate myself for losing you  
(I'm seeing it all so clear)  
I'm seeing it all so clear  
I hate myself for losing you  
What do you do when you look in the mirror  
And staring at you is why he's not here?  
What do you say when everything's said?  
Is the reason why he left you in the end?  
How do you cry when every tear you shed  
Won't ever bring him back again?  
I hate myself for loving you_

**A/N: hahaah I know I know I was supposed to finish this story with this story, but I got too lazy and too bored to write a really long chapter. The next chapter, I swear, will be the end. You guys will _never _be able to try to guess the ending, although please try! It's going to be bittersweet, you bet : ) **

**I love all the reviews that you people have sent me. I love you I love you I love you. I hope this chapter will show you what an awful person JOSH is! And the next chapter will make everything clear. Alrighty. The song used in this chapter is Kelly Clarkson's I hate myself for losing you.**

**And one last thing. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! You guys have no idea how much reviews inspire me. Hahahaha. byeeeeee!**


	21. Chapter 21: Cherished in My Heart

**§ Cherished in My Heart §  
****A fiction by moondocc  
****Rated T/Genre: Romance/Drama**

a/n: wow, thanks for all those reviews! Especially Cerulean Flames who sent me like a review for each chapter. Thank you. That was very generous of you, considering how some people don't even bother to submit a review at all. Anyway, sorry I had you thinking that that was the last chapter, yes, I know it's a relief. But this chapter's going to be pretty sad toooo. I'm sorry you guys. I'm so touched that many of you said that you almost cried/cried reading the chapter. I'm so happy! It's such a great thing to know that you've touched someone with your work. It's a great feeling. Anyway… here's the next and very last chapter!

And thank you guys for helping me reach 700! That is a DREAM COME TRUE. I told myself that this story won't ever break 100 but here I am at 700… wow!

**WARNING: SUPER LONG CHAPTER AHEAD.**

**Chapter 21: Cherished in My Heart**

_2 days ago._

"Mr. Li, please sit down," an old man with glasses instructed Syaoran. He wore a white doctor's robe and was holding a notepad. He had a serious expression on his face. Syaoran peeked through the door, saw the doctor, and followed his gaze. He sat in the patient chair opposite of Dr. Tanami, the brain surgeon.

"Would you like something to eat and drink while I tell you your conditions?" Dr. Tanami asked, concerned. Syaoran shook his head. "You might need something to drink while I tell you this…" he trailed off, ignoring Syaoran's protest, and handed him a glass of water.

Syaoran's heart beat fast. What does he have? He merely passed out… Eriol and Tomoyo had found him on the kitchen floor, unconscious, but all those thoughts about Sakura were what were bothering him! There was nothing else wrong with him. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"Mr. Li, we have your test results," Dr. Tanami said, handing Syaoran a yellow envelope. Syaoran curiously took the photographs out. He looked at them for a while—they were CAT scans of his brain—several pages of them. "Doctor, what…" he gulped, "what exactly does this mean?"

Syaoran squeezed his eyes shut, his hand over his heart, preparing for the worst.

Dr. Tanami sighed deeply. He then inhaled a large volume of air, placed his hand on his forehead and let out a frustrated moan. "Mr. Li… I have always hated my job."

"Wh-what?" Syaoran asked, confused. What does he mean? Why is he changing the subject?

"Mr. Li… I was assigned to tell patients the worst of news for the past twenty years. I cannot bear this anymore. I cannot bear to tell you!" Dr. Tanami shook his head. Syaoran nodded slowly. He was seeing it from the Doctor's perspective now, how painful it must be to deliver the bad news and watch people break down slowly.

"Please," Syaoran asked patiently, wanting to take as much time as possible to preserve his last moment of peace. He knew, by the doctor's grave tone, that there's a chance that everything in his life will thus perish away from existence once he has known his condition. "Tell me," he pleaded.

Dr. Tanami looked down at his notepad. Syaoran noticed some scribbles on it, but he couldn't exactly make them out; the notepad was upside down too. "Mr. Li, I'm afraid that your brain condition is very severe."

Syaoran narrowed his eyes, "H-how severe?"

"You have a tumor behind your sensory nerves, Mr. Li, where your eyes are connected at." Dr. Tanami said gravely. For a moment silence took their breaths. Syaoran stared.

"W-what?" he simply asked.

"The tumor has been there for at least two years," Dr. Tanami explained, "has anyone pointed this out before?"

Syaoran shook his head. He hadn't exactly had a physical in the last five years. Now he cursed himself silently. "If treated at an earlier stage, the tumor would be removed with only slight damage to the brain, and wouldn't affect you much, but now…"

"Now…?"

"Now," Dr. Tanami sighed, "Now I'm afraid that…if you don't treat it, you will…" he looked away. Syaoran nodded, understanding. If he doesn't treat it now, he'll…Syaoran gulped…die.

Five minutes passed with neither patient nor doctor communicating. Dr. Tanami left Syaoran to his peace and went on observing him in a concerned way. He understood that patients always needed time to absorb the most devastating piece of news in their lives.

Inside Syaoran's brain, no matter how damaged it was, he still felt like it exploded. Sharp pains drove right into his eyes and disturbed his aqueous humor that his eyes felt dry and detached. Fireworks threw themselves like flames of lava inside his brain and energy flowed from his head toward space. "I feel lightheaded…" he whispered, very low so that Dr. Tanami wouldn't hear.

At this time he thought of Sakura, of his sweet innocent cherry blossom to whom he shared so many wonderful and lovely memories with. He thought of how devastating it would be that those memories, especially the ones that she couldn't remember, would perish along with him with his impending death. He thought of her angelic voice and her beautiful face and how he would never hear her laughter and never be lost in her eyes again. He silently cursed himself. If he ever lived through this in one piece, he promised himself, he would physically and mentally check up every six months on the dot.

Why must he die when he's so…fashionably in love?

"Mr. Li?" Dr. Tanami said, disturbing the silence. Syaoran flashed his eyes up defiantly. "Yes?"

"There is a way to treat this." Dr. Tanami said. Syaoran felt hope pouring into his brain again. "How?" he was determined to get better.

"As you can see, technology in Hong Kong is not as advanced as technology in America," Syaoran nodded, knowing that this was true. "If you wish to have surgery to remove your tumor, which I strongly suggest you do, you must leave for America at once, or else the cancerous cells in the tumor will spread and eventually shut down your nervous system."

Syaoran nodded again, his mind running through a thousand thoughts. What the doctor meant was that, he was sure, that if he didn't leave for America to receive treatment, then the worst and the most probable thing that will happen is that…

He will die.

"Doctor," Syaoran asked, hesitantly, "what are the risks for treatment?"

Dr. Tanami looked away. He held his head in his hands again, taking a deep breath. "There are many risks," he began, "for there is no complete treatment for the tumor at your stage. The risks are different for different people," he explained, observing Syaoran's complexion, which contained no emotion. "Most people have sensory defects, however, because the tumor is located in the sensory lobe of your brain."

"Sensory defects?" Syaoran asked. "In my case, what would that mean?"

The doctor took a deep breath again. He had a troubled expression on his face. "That would mean," Here he exhaled, inhaled again, held it and looked straight in Syaoran's eyes, "there's an eighty percent chance that you will be blind, Mr. Li."

_Present time._

Sakura smiled serenely at the memories of Syaoran and her. She was staying at Tomoyo's mansion, and she lay on her own bed peacefully, her hands folding across her chest. She remembered how the eight-year-old Sakura told Syaoran that someday he will find another girl that's more beautiful, more athletic, and more intelligent than she was, but in the end, he found her again.

_Sakura sighed deeply. She placed her hand on his face and turned him around. "Someday, you just wait, Syaoran, there won't be a Sakura Kinomoto anymore. Someday, Syaoran, you are going to find a girl who is more beautiful, more intelligent, and more athletic than I am, Syaoran, and you are going to love that girl forever, and protect her with everything you have."_

_"Sakura, I have already found that girl." Syaoran whispered._

_"Oh?" Sakura smiled secretly._

_"It's you." Syaoran answered after a while._

Sakura laughed at this memory. Those precious memories of Syaoran and her, of her brother Touya, of her father Fujitaka, of Hong Kong ten years ago, of _his_ mother, Yelan…She's going to miss these memories. "I'm being so stupid…" Sakura said sadly, "how can I be so foolish as to think that he'll forgive me? Of course he won't. I was so hard on him…" she felt tears in her eyes. She shook them away and flipped around, hugging a big bear-like stuffed animal, to which she named Kero. "You're my dream, Syaoran…I won't let you go." She swallowed determinedly.

**

* * *

**

Everybody's got something they had to leave behind  
One regret from yesterday that just seems to grow with time  
There's no use looking back or wondering  
How it could be now or might have been  
Oh this I know but still I can't find ways to let you go

* * *

A chestnut-haired man lowered his head as he strolled in the peaceful park. His bangs fell neatly over his amber eyes, which were full of remorse and regret. He couldn't. He just couldn't tell Sakura about the tumor. It would break her heart. After ten years they were finally going to be together, but now…now it's Syaoran's fault that he'll be leaving her. He sighed in frustration, his hand running frantically through his hair. When he pulled his hands down, he gazed at it—there were too many strands of hair falling. Syaoran shook his head. "Everything will be okay," he reassured himself. "Everything will be okay as long as you're cherished my in my heart."

He kept walking, his eyes on the ground, observing the pigeons jumping and flying fearlessly around him. He knelt down, and stared at a white pigeon. It had pure white feathers and a yellow beak. Its eyes were the darkest brown, almost black, and it stared defiantly back at Syaoran.

"Hi," Syaoran greeted the pigeon. It walked closer to him, shaking its head stupidly at his outstretched hand. "My name is Syaoran Li," he continued, "what's yours?"

The pigeon made a sound that resembled snorting. "Oh, you wouldn't tell me? Let me guess. Is it… Liang?" the pigeon looked away. "No? no? well, is it Fuwei? Kai-choi?" he asked patiently again. The pigeon didn't respond. It kept gazing at Syaoran in a most observant way. "_Ooh_, I get it, are you a _girl_ pigeon?" Syaoran laughed at his stupidity. "I mean, so far the names have been boy names, haven't they?"

To this the pigeon squawked. "Hmm…so you _are_ a girl. Is your name Ai-hua?" he asked. The pigeon seemed to shake its head. "Ke-ling? Jing?" At this the pigeon seemed to glare at him and then flew away. Syaoran smiled serenely. He stood up, shook his head, and continued walking. He was almost against a tree when the pigeon flew back again, this time landing on his shoulder. Syaoran looked surprised, and then glanced sideways. The pigeon's beak held something pink… what was it? It flew down his shoulders and dropped the pink thing in his hand. Syaoran looked down. On his hand was the most beautiful cherry blossom that he had ever seen. It had six petals and was the color of a soft, radiant peach. His other hand reached out curiously and embraced it carefully. The pigeon seemed make "coo-coo" noises. He looked back at the pigeon and smiled, "your name is Ying-Fa, isn't it?"

It coo-coo'ed, as if approving the name Ying-Fa, and then, without a warning, it rose above and encircled his head. Syaoran smiled at the pigeon as it rose higher and higher in the sky, where it disappeared among the brilliant rays of sunlight piercing forcefully through the clouds. Syaoran looked at the pink flower on his hand. "Now where did Ying-Fa get this cherry blossom? Cherry blossoms are only found in Japan…" he trailed off, and then shook his head. "Silly." He told himself, "This must be a hallucination."

Syaoran rested his head against the big oak tree. He closed his eyes calmly and listened to the sounds of nature. He thought about how other senses sharpen when one of them is disabled. He smiled. He hadn't smiled in so long, and this was a completely refreshing experience. He felt…free, as if he had just been relieved from thousands of chains binding him to a wall—the heart of Sakura. He liked this feeling. It was new, it was beautiful…and yet it hurts him to admit that he wanted it, just temporarily, to be away from her.

For, being away from her and being able to forget her made being cruel to her so much easier to bear.

"Syao-Syaoran?" A voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up, and tightened his face.

"Sakura! What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm just taking a walk in the park and I saw you here, so I thought I'd come and say hi," Sakura said cheerfully. Syaoran said nothing.

Noticing the silence, Sakura laughed. "It's such a beautiful afternoon, isn't it, Syaoran?"

"I don't like springs," he mumbled. This wasn't true.

"Oh? You don't? Spring tends to be so soft, doesn't it?" Sakura said amiably. Syaoran couldn't help but gaze at her face. Her nose was pointed skyward, and her emerald eyes blended so beautifully with the sun that thousands of colors danced in her glittering pools. She had a sheepish smile on her face, with the faintest hint of puffy eyes

"But yes, yes it does." He agreed. "And beautiful." He added.

"I thought you didn't like springs," Sakura turned around to face him, smiling. Syaoran flashed a grouchy look. "I don't like it _because _it's soft and beautiful."

Sakura laughed again. He found himself closing his eyes and listening to its ringing sound. It really does sound like a magical laugh. So…delicate and so…mesmerizing. "Oh, Syaoran… you are exactly what you were ten years ago."

Syaoran opened his eyes suddenly. "What?" he demanded.

"You were always so grouchy and so stubborn, and you would always make things hard for me." Sakura said simply, "I remember you always had a problem with one-to-one personal conversations."

"What?" Syaoran yelled, his face turning to the color of apple. "I do _not_!"

"So childish…" she muttered. To this Syaoran's hair stood up, his face paled. "Oh look…you're white as a sheet. Are you sick?" she asked concernedly. Syaoran's eyes shot straight at her. "And you're still dense as a slug."

"What?" it was her turn to scream at him this time. "SLUG? DENSE? You compared _me_ to a slug?" Syaoran nodded proudly, temporarily forgetting about their troubles. "For that, you'll have to be punished!" she said determinedly.

"Punished? How, my princess?" he smirked at her. Sakura thought for a moment, looking innocently at the birds chirping happily on the tree branch. "Ha, I know!" her face lighted up as she turned around to him. Then she broke into laughs of mischief and stretched her fingers at Syaoran. "For this you'll have to be punished!" she screamed happily as she began tickling Syaoran at his waist. Syaoran looked completely surprised and started laughing out of control. "Stop it!" he cackled, his hands fighting for control of Sakura's venturing fingers. Sakura continued to tickle him at the armpits, then the neck, and then falling over him to tickle him some more at the waist. They laughed for a moment before they realized the position they were in.

Both were on the newborn grass and she was directly on top of him. Their faces were only a few inches away, and she was completely red. They had stopped laughing, and for what seems like eternity, they were lost in each other's eyes. Then, giving in to temptation, Syaoran put his hands on her cheeks and pulled her to his lips. Their mouths met dramatically in a hunger for each other's taste as he forced her lips open with his tongue. She welcomed his tongue that was so deprived of her, and kissed him back urgently. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw her closed ones, her expression so happy and so beautiful.

Something in his head hit him then like a hammer pounding on a nail. He winced, thankful that Sakura didn't notice. The pain made him realize the mistake that he's doing to her. No, no, this isn't what he would have of her. No, he was supposed to be cruel and mean to her! Quickly he pushed her head away from his and broke the kiss. "No, I can't do this, Sakura, not when I didn't forgive you." He sat up and turned around so his back faced her. He couldn't look at her face.

There is a difference between what's good for him and what he wanted.

On the other side Sakura answered. "Syaoran… please forgive me. I'm sorry for all the things that I've said and done. I'm sorry."

And he wanted so badly of Sakura that it was torture to keep his hands wrapped around his knees rather than holding her, comforting her.

"I can't bare to live without you, Syaoran." She whispered.

He would hold her in his arms and he would cradle her head in his chest and just sit with her under the oak tree, sit with her and comfort her and embrace her and kiss her.

"I…I love you, Syaoran." She confessed, and she felt herself starting to cry. She wiped away her tears and walked over to face Syaoran. She sat down in front of him and gave him a brave smile.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me anymore…I give up on that. I'm asking you to love me."

How can you love someone when you never forgave them?

Syaoran gazed at her. "How can you be so cruel?" she asked softly, her eyes fixed on his. "Because I can't love you." He said simply. "No, I don't _want_ to love you."

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" her face faded into a frown. "Oh Syaoran…" she broke down, her head on her knees, crying lightly. Syaoran looked at her, a thousand needles dashing pointedly at his heart. He felt his heart ache, then after that, his head ache. After a moment, Sakura cleared her throat, wiped away her tears, and gazed at Syaoran with a wide smile. She looked…almost happy, Syaoran thought.

"Syaoran, I want you to know, even if you never forgive me, I want you to know this."

Syaoran gazed at her. "I want you to know, that no matter what happens, you'll always be my number one. You'll always be cherished in my heart." She smiled, continuing. "Even when you fall in love with someone else and you show her to me one day, even when hurt and pain embraces me and it kills me to see her happy with you, I'll still be completely devoted to you. Don't you ever forget this."

Syaoran nodded slowly. He wasn't going to fall in love with anyone else when he's so madly in love with her. No, no, he silently gave her his words too, that her response only written on his heart. He smiled back at her. This is what she wanted, he thought, she wanted to leave him with a smile.

"Sakura," he spoke softly, "close your eyes."

Sakura looked surprised, but did so nonetheless. She closed her eyes patiently and sat there, the sunlight caressing her. Syaoran cursed himself for being so brutal. He knew that she would never open her eyes without him telling her to. He wanted so badly to kiss her, and he thought that she had anticipated that too, for her lips were slightly jutting outward, as if reaching for his.

He shook his head. No, he had to do this. He stood up, looking at her one last time. He rewarded her with a smile and silently crept around her. Sakura felt Syaoran's body brushing past her, and in the next second, she felt that he wasn't there anymore. She kept her eyes closed, her mind thinking a thousand thoughts.

A moment later, when Sakura opened her eyes and glanced around, he was gone. He had walked away from her forever.

**

* * *

**

I've never had a dream come true  
Till the day that I found you  
Even though I pretend that I've moved on  
You'll always be my baby  
I never found the words to say  
You're the one I think about each day  
And I know no matter where life takes me to  
A part of me will always be with you

* * *

Sakura closed the door behind her and wiped her eyes again. It had been red ever since she had last seen Syaoran. She groaned and walked towards the bathroom. She looked into the mirror, and saw that her face had no expression, but that's when she noticed something pink in her hair. Pondering, she gently pulled the pink thing into her hand and observed it. It was a cherry blossom.**

* * *

**

Somewhere in my memory  
I've lost all sense of time  
and tomorrow can never be cos yesterday is all that fills my mind  
There's no use looking back or wondering  
How it should be now or might have been  
Oh this I know but still I can't find ways to let you go

* * *

A young woman held a stuffed bear close to her chest and cried silently, remorsefully. The air around her hung like a ghost, sucking her every breath in. She closed her eyes as his smile rushed to her sense of imagery. His smile was that of a serene, peaceful, yet dangerous and piercing curve. She recalled to have never seen him fully smile, but only a tip of his mouth slightly curved upwards.

Sakura opened her eyes again, and traced her fingers down Kero. She poked its soft fur and then gently kissed its forehead. "Kero…you're the only one here to listen to my troubles, eh?"

Kero seemed to nod his head. Sakura stared afar, trying to space out so she can forget her pain. Immediately after she dozed off, the door burst open. Sakura jumped aback, her grip tightening around Kero. "Sakura!" A raven-haired girl called to her.

"Tomoyo!" Sakura gasped. "What's wrong?" Tomoyo had kicked open the door so suddenly that Sakura felt her heart jumping in wild excitement.

"What the hell are you doing here, Sakura? Why aren't you at the airport?" Tomoyo demanded, her cheeks flushed. "You were supposed to meet us at the airport an hour ago!"

"What?" Sakura asked in confusion. "Oh that. I heard Syaoran's going to America." She said sadly. "Yes!" Tomoyo nodded, "aren't you going to see him off?"

"No." Sakura grunted, her arms hugging Kero in an almost suffocating way. "I don't want to."

Tomoyo groaned. Sakura had never seen Tomoyo this way. She was always so calm and so perfect. "This might be your last chance, Sakura," Tomoyo whispered sadly, "don't you know?"

"What?" Sakura demanded, alarmed. "What do you mean my last chance?"

Tomoyo propped herself next to Sakura. "Sakura-chan, why do you think Syaoran told you he couldn't forgive you?"

"W-what? How did you know?"

"Why. Why do you think that he couldn't forgive you?" Tomoyo repeated. She looked straight in Sakura's eyes, her orbs a mix of determination and stubbornness.

"B-because…" Sakura sighed, "I said that Josh was perfect."

Tomoyo groaned. "How can you honestly be that _stupid_?"

Sakura backed away, confused. Since when did Tomoyo ever call her stupid? "W-what?" where was Tomoyo getting at?

"Syaoran's in love with you, you idiot. He's going to America because he has a tumor behind his eyes." Tomoyo explained, waiting for a moment to let the effect of her words sink in. Sakura gazed at Tomoyo, and then shook her head, laughing.

"Is this a ploy to get me to the airport?" she smiled, "if so, then it's a very good ploy."

Tomoyo's hand raised high in the air and landed hard on Sakura's face. Sakura gasped, surprised that Tomoyo is capable of such a violent thing. She rubbed her palm against her fingerprinted face and glared at Tomoyo. "You stupid cow!" She screamed at Sakura. "If you don't go after Syaoran now, there's a chance that you'll never see him again!"

"What?" Sakura asked, too shocked to recover from Tomoyo's slap to completely function her brain.

"He might die, Sakura!" Tomoyo shouted loudly. Then she broke down and curled herself into a ball, crystal tears falling on the pink carpet like droplets of rainwater. "He might die…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

**

* * *

**

I've never had a dream come true  
Till the day that I found you  
Even though I pretend that I've moved on  
You'll always be my baby  
I never found the words to say  
You're the one I think about each day  
And I know no matter where life takes me to  
A part of me will always be with you

* * *

Two women burst into the front lobby of the airport, searching frantically for a certain chestnut-haired man. Sakura ran straight up the escalator, leaving Tomoyo catching up behind. "Go, go!" Tomoyo urged as the auburn-haired girl ran up the escalator and knocked down a few people in her way.

"Sorry, excuse me," she muttered quickly without turning around, losing no time. Syaoran's flight was at 10:30, and it was already 10:26, as informed by a humongous digital clock hanging above the glass doors just ahead of her. She pulled the doors open hurriedly and dashed into the waiting room. Sakura glanced around. No one was there save for an old woman with what was possibly, her granddaughter.

"Hoee…" Sakura groaned, her hands banging on her forehead. She held a ticket for New York City in her grasp, and looked at the time stamped on the thick brochure. It read 10:30. If Sakura gets on the plane now, that would mean that she would be in the same airplane as Syaoran. She glistened, looking happily down at her small carry-on purse with some essentials. There was hope yet.

_Syaoran, I'm coming._

Then she shook her head. She sat down on a couch, her hands holding her head up to support it. She sighed out deeply as she felt her sensitive tear buds beginning to outline her emerald pools again.

_What will I say when I see him?_

A lone tear traced its way down her rosy cheek.

_What will _he_ say? _

She felt herself sob a little. Just a little.

_Will you love me?_

Tears trickled down like rain.

_10:40am, airport lobby._

Tomoyo gasped for breath. Her hand grabbed a chair handle for support as she bent over and inhaled deeply. _I wonder where Sakura is, _she thought in between the exchange of air, _I bet she's on that plane now with Syaoran!_ Tomoyo smiled to herself. It was all to her doing that her best friend and Syaoran are going to find true happiness.

She tried hard to believe that. Syaoran can't die now. Not now, not when Sakura's search for happiness has just ended. Her love blossomed for him like lovely cherry blossoms in spring. With snow melting into spring, hope is still there. It's hard-earned, hard-fought, but nevertheless… there.

Little did she know that Sakura didn't get on the plane to New York City.

Kinomoto Sakura stepped on the plane to Tokyo, Japan, awaiting a new adventure.

**

* * *

**

You'll always be the dream that fills my head  
Yes you will, say you will, you know you will  
Oh baby, you'll always be the one I know I'll never forget  
There's no use looking back or wondering  
Because love is a strange and funny thing  
No matter how I try and try I just can't say goodbye  
No no no no

_

* * *

5 Years Later.  
__23 years of age._

_7:20am, Grand Palace, Tokyo, Japan._

"Sakura, Sakura!" Tomoyo screamed, pushing the door open to Sakura's room in the royal chambers. Sakura groaned, pulling bed sheets over her head. Tomoyo jumped on Sakura's bed excitedly and screamed in Sakura's ear: "Sakura! My clothes are out in _Teen_ _Magazine_!"

Immediately Sakura pulled down her bed sheets and sat up in happiness. Then she screamed together with Tomoyo, squealing as she hugged her best friend. "Congratulations, Tomoyo! That's well-deserved!"

Tomoyo nodded excitedly and shoved the magazine in Sakura's face. "Look, look, it's my clothes!" Sakura took the magazine and peered down at it. "AHHHHH!" She squealed. "Oh my god! This is fantastic!"

"Yes, I know, isn't it? All that hard work has finally paid off!"

"Hmm yes." Sakura quickly answered. Something had caught her eye. Her focus wasn't on Tomoyo's new fashion line anymore. Her eyes trailed down on the next page. Tomoyo smiled sheepishly, gazing at Sakura happily.

"Eriol will be so pleased! Now that we're engaged, he can wear one of my designs to our engagement ceremony. I'm thinking the white tuxedo with the blue dragon emblazoned on the sleeves and blue violets at the hem of the suit, no? Or maybe the black tuxedo with the white stripes, you know, one of those 'model-y' looks?" Tomoyo rambled, her hands clutched together in front of her heart. "What do you think Sakura?" she glimpsed casually at her friend.

"Hmm? It's fine." Sakura replied quickly, her eyes still fastened on the next page. The wheels in her brain turned rapidly as she shook her head. "No, no, it's not possible…"

"No? What about the navy suit then?" Tomoyo asked, absorbed in her own imagination.

"Huh?" Sakura tore her eyes away from the page and looked up at Tomoyo. "What did you say?"

Tomoyo turned around and gave Sakura a dirty look. "Haven't you been listening to what I'm saying, Sakura?"

Sakura blinked. "Hoe?"

Tomoyo sighed dramatically. Sakura pretended not to notice. "Tomoyo…is it possible to have cherry trees grow in Hong Kong?"

Tomoyo put a finger to her chin. "I thought cherry trees were indigenous to Japan only."

"That's what I thought too. I mean, in the year that I was in Hong Kong and when I was young I've never seen a cherry tree in my entire life. I mean, the climate isn't suitable," Sakura trailed off, looking puzzled.

"Well it _is_ April…" Tomoyo pondered. "Let me see what you're reading." Sakura handed Tomoyo the magazine and pointed at the picture she was referring to. Tomoyo scrutinized it carefully. It was a picture of cherry blossom trees lined neatly in Princess Park. The cherry blossoms bloomed happily and violently, pasting the walk with a radiant heavenly glow. The caption read, and Tomoyo read it out loud, "Designed by a famous American architect, the cherry blossom trees in this park are moved entirely from Japan and will grow for about one week. After one week the trees will have to be moved back to Japan because of unsuitable climates. Gorgeous flowers are matched greatly with young lovers. Attraction No. 11, Princess Park, 18 Princess Street, Victoria Island, Hong Kong, 100293, P.R. China."

Sakura's stomach twisted into a tight knot. "Want to go there, Tomoyo? I hope this magazine isn't outdated."

"No, I just got it today. Although I think we only have like…about three more days to see this attraction." Tomoyo calculated. "That is, if we leave today."

Sakura looked at the picture again. "Let's go then, I'll pay. It'd be like a celebration for your designs published in _Teen Magazine_! And bring Eriol. We'll all go together."

Tomoyo's face brightened. "Oh, Sakura, you're the best friend any girl could have!" She said cheerfully as she gave Sakura a bear hug. "Let me go get Eriol now. I hope we can still catch a flight!"

"Don't worry. I _am _the princess after all. I'll tell Takashi to get the limo ready." Sakura beamed as Tomoyo skipped out of the room, almost dancing her way to the door. Sakura peered down at the picture again, her fingers touching the smooth page.

She felt guilty for lying to her friend. Lord knows she had an ulterior motive.

**

* * *

**

I've never had a dream come true  
Till the day that I found you  
Even though I pretend that I've moved on  
You'll always be my baby  
I never found the words to say (words to say)  
You're the one I think about each day  
And I know no matter where life takes me to  
A part of me will always be  
A part of me will always be with you

* * *

"Awwhh…" Tomoyo sighed exasperatedly. "It's beautiful!" Eriol was by her side, smiling kindly at her. Sakura felt a little jealous by looking at them, but at the same time wonderful. She was surrounded by the most beautiful flowers imaginable. All around her, cherry blossoms extended out of the branches, dancing with the wind and waving happily at her. The heavenly glow from the picture was now a reality as pink flower petals graced the pavement, striking ornaments for such plain earth.

Eriol led Tomoyo toward a tree and disappeared behind it. Sakura shook her head. She could hear Tomoyo's giggles from far away. "Those two are too cute," she said to herself, secretly wishing that her romance was fluent like theirs. All these years. All these five years she had refused to go on dates and meet guys. Ever since the first and last person she will ever love was lost in America. She had ceased to contact him, although he filled her dreams every night. In her dreams she would fall gracefully into his arms and bat her eyelids elegantly at him, and he would embrace her lips with burning passion. She hated the mornings. With her awake, another illusion would disappear. And she craved for illusions which served to fill the gap in her heart.

She walked slowly down the pavement, wanting desperately to give Tomoyo some well-deserved peace. She knew that if she had brought a loved one here that it would be the most romantic place on earth. She smiled. Tomoyo and Eriol were probably gazing at the baby blue sky right now, muttering loving words to each other.

There were too many couples in Princess Park that Sakura felt herself suffocate by the air of lovey dovey words and uttering whispers. She stepped on a log and balanced one foot on it, then the next, skipping carefully down with her arms out stretched. She closed her eyes, letting herself feel the wind seize her body and haul her hair. "Ahhh…" she sighed happily.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A man's voice stroke behind her. Sakura's foot slipped and crashed on the ground. "Oww…" she rubbed her behind, clearly annoyed by the voice.

She heard him laugh. She got up angrily and looked around. No one was there. "Where are you?" she asked loudly. No answer. She walked around, peering sideways before her eyes stopped at a person hiding behind a tree.

"I was hoping you wouldn't find me," the voice said quietly. Sakura sauntered ahead, lowering her head sideways so she could see his head. Chestnut hair. Her heart leapt a mile. Sakura quickly ran over to him and now she was standing in front of him. She widened her eyes.

"Syaoran? Li Syaoran?"

The man chucked softly. "I'm what's left of him." He held his hand up for her to see. In his hand there was a cane, which he used to support himself. Sakura peeped intently into his eyes. They showed no sign of seeing her.

"You're…" she gulped, "blind?"

Syaoran nodded. "Then how did you know it was me?"

"Lucky guess." Syaoran shrugged. Then he laughed. "No, no, my escort told me. I'm quite important you know, to have an escort and everything. Me being blind doesn't mean _asshole_." He smirked (**a/n. in the first chapter he used 'asshole' as well, go back to it if you have time**).

Sakura laughed. He was his old self again. Here she was, thinking that he had already lost his stupid playboy AT-TTI-TOODE.

"This park is truly beautiful."

"I can't see, Sakura." Syaoran reminded her silently. Sakura turned around quickly and apologized. "I'm sorry, Syaoran… I mean, whoever designed this park must have been a genius."

"Hmm yes. Must be." Syaoran breathed in and held it for a while. He decided to change the subject. "This is the spot, isn't it. This is the spot where we said goodbye."

Sakura smiled. "Yes. This is the spot, I think!" at that she waved her arms and twirled around, laughing happily. "This is the spot!" she said louder this time.

"You know, after five years we're not talking like normal people do when they see each other after a long time." Syaoran observed.

"Oh? How do normal people act then?" Sakura asked innocently.

"Like this." With one hand Syaoran pulled Sakura to him and hugged her. Sakura gasped, completely taken unawares by Syaoran's smooth motion. "Syaoran!" she protested, pulling herself away from him.

Syaoran laughed and pushed her away gently. "You know, I think this park was designed for someone."

"Oh? Who was it designed for?" Sakura breathed heavily.

Syaoran smirked and launched himself in her direction, his cane flying out of his grasp. Sakura moved in just in time to catch him, but his strong arms pushed her stubbornly on the cherry blossom covered pavement and claimed her lips.

After a while he broke away, his icy cold eyes reflecting neither warmth nor welcome, but his rosy lips suggesting otherwise. "You, dummy."

_Fini._

**a/n. COMPLETE! This chapter turned out longer than I expected. Hmm. Actually it's 6500 words, which is the longest chapter I have _ever_ written. Oh wow, it's 13 pages. Haha, anyway. This is the ending! It's bittersweet I think, although readers don't know why she didn't leave for NYC. That's up to you to imagine. Oh and how Syaoran knew Sakura was going to be there on that day? i don't know... hahaahh he's just... there. anyhoo. I'm had some great times writing this story and it's my first completed fic… awwhhh. And guys, I'm not going to write a sequel, because there is basically nothing left to write. But anyway.**

**All those reviewers who have been silently reading this story out there, it's time to drop a review because this story is complete! I know a lot of you guys are silent readers by count of how many people added this story to their favorite list and hits. So please, if you're a silent reader, PLEASE REVIEW!**

**And to all my other reviewers I'm really grateful for the reviews and inspirations you guys gave me, including some recent reviewers who have been very encouraging. I love you all. **

**Also, I'm revising this story, as you can see, chapter 1 has already been revised and it's a lot different than the original chapter 1. Well, anyways… REVIEW!**

**Song used: S Club 7, Never had a Dream Come True.**

_Complete._


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